


Of Riceballs and Tapenade

by Kaizoku_no_Kazoku



Category: One Piece
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Off-Screen Major Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 69,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26358979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaizoku_no_Kazoku/pseuds/Kaizoku_no_Kazoku
Summary: [Revised and Partially Rewritten] Luffy is a 19 year old man who, after being wrongly arrested, is doing community service in a nursing home. There, he meets and befriends a young quadriplegic named Zoro, who was victim of a horrible drunk driving accident. Luffy wants to be more than friends, but Zoro still grieves over his old boyfriend, whom he lost in the accident. ZoLu/LuZo, mentions of SanZo/ZoSan
Relationships: Franky/Nico Robin, Koala/Sabo (One Piece), Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro, Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 9
Kudos: 34





	1. A Friendship Is Born

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic that I posted years ago (the first 12 chapters) on another site, later deciding that it badly needed a revision. Some chapters of this revision are pretty much almost the same as the originals, but some have had things added, taken out, or changed. The biggest revision is chapter 6. About 95% of that chapter has been rewritten. Anyway, enjoy! New chapters will come out once I'm done posting Chapter 12.
> 
> Thank you to pingo1387 for her tremendous help, without which, the bulk of this fic couldn't have been written

Luffy sat in the cafeteria of the nursing home trying to choke down a meal even he couldn't quite stomach. He'd forgotten his own lunch at home, something he'd realized too late that lunch break. He put down his fork after finishing only half his meal, and got up from the table, taking his tray to the drop-off window of the cafeteria. 

As he angrily trudged back to his workstation, he thought about how he'd gotten here in the first place. He'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the police had arrested him. He'd shown up in court and, because it had been his first offense, he had received two weeks community service... in a nursing home of all places! He had nothing against the elderly, but even though he'd had some nursing training, working here caring for the elderly just wasn't his thing.

He was about to go into the linen closet to grab some bedsheets to put on his cart (he was on bed making duty today), when out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a by-now familiar head of green hair. He turned toward the head as the young man it belonged to slowly crept by in his power wheelchair, seemingly completely oblivious to being gawked at.

Luffy had been here for four days of his two week sentence, and in that time, he had noticed something. The green-haired guy (who's last name, Roronoa, was stickered on the back of his chair along with his room number) was the only resident here who was even remotely close to his age. He appeared to be in his early 20's or thereabouts, he rarely spoke to anyone, and one perpetually closed eye sported a long vertical scar. Also, to say he had a depressed air about him would have been a gross understatement. He looked as if there were a literal grey cloud over his head at all times. Luffy watched the powerchair as it continued to creep slowly down the hall.

Suddenly, it stopped, and even though Luffy could only see the back of the man's head, he could tell the man was confused, as if he'd only just now realized where he was. "Shit." He heard the man swear quietly. He watched the man then quickly maneuver his way into a tight looking alcove... where his powerchair got promptly stuck between its inner walls. 

"Shit!" The man swore again, this time more loudly, as he inched the chair backward and forward, trying and failing to work it free.

Luffy left his cart and rushed over to the young man in the powerchair. "Hey," Luffy greeted. "Where were you tryna go?"

"I was trying to turn around," The green-haired man replied, sighing heavily. "Shit," he swore yet again.

Given the different ways the man was secured into his chair, Luffy guessed that he was probably a para- no, quadriplegic. He wondered what had happened to him.

"Oi! If you're gonna stand there, don't just stare, help me!" The man grumbled.

Luffy nodded, and after some thought, he tried the same method the green-haired man had tried. He seemed to get no further out of the alcove than he had the first time. "Boy, you really are stuck," Luffy commented.

"Nice observation," The man apparently named Roronoa replied sarcastically. "Just... go get a CNA, okay?"

"Wait," Luffy said, thinking again for a second. Then he stooped down, grabbed the part of the legrest that was closest to him, braced himself, and used all the strength he had to yank the front part of the powerchair free of the alcove. When Luffy gazed up at Roronoa's face, for the first time since he'd begun working here, he saw a look so unlike his usual appearance, that had Luffy not known better, he would have sworn was a different man. The cloud was gone, and on Roronoa's face was a look of utter astonishment.

"...Thanks," The man Roronoa said once he found his tongue again. "...You're a lot stronger than you look."

"I... used to wrestle with my older brother," Luffy told him sadly as he stood up again. "I lost him... two years ago..."

Roronoa lowered his head. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's alright, and thanks," Luffy took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

One of the CNA's angrily called out to Luffy. He swore inwardly. "I need to get back to work. Can you get back to your room okay?"

"Yeah, I can, as long as I can avoid these alcoves," he said as he carefully turned his powerchair in the opposite direction. "I only have one semi-good hand. Makes it hard to navigate."

"I see. Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Roronoa," Luffy said, waving at the man's retreating back.

"Call me Zoro." The man said as he slowly maneuvered himself down the hall.

"Zoro..." Luffy whispered to himself, before hurrying back to his cart.


	2. I Lost Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro talks to Luffy about what has happened to him. Mentionings of Sanji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly what's changed in this chapter is Zoro's dialogue. Before, it didn't really sound too much like Zoro. We changed most of his dialogue to be more Zoro-like

The next day, Luffy was on lunch duty, which meant that he had to make sure all the residents had their lunches and that the finished lunches were picked up before he'd get his own lunch break. He sighed. At least he'd get to talk to Zoro again, if only for a minute or two. 

It took some time, but he'd finally worked his way down to Zoro's room. 255 was the number on and beside the door. Even though the door was slightly ajar, he knocked before peeking in. "Hey Zoro~! They didn't have..." Luffy trailed off as he noticed a woman, who appeared to be a few years older than Zoro, sitting in a chair facing the green-haired man. He also appeared to have his lunch already.

She'd looked up as Luffy spoke, smiled at him, turned to Zoro, and asked, "Is this him? He called you Zoro."

Zoro blushed and looked away. "Yeah..."

"I just wanted to tell him that they didn't give me a lunch for him," Luffy said as he walked over to Zoro's powerchair. "I didn't know he had a visitor."

"Oh, that's okay," the woman said smiling warmly. "I brought him lunch from home." 

"Home?" 

"Oh! I should have introduced myself," she said standing and extending a hand. "I'm Zoro's sister, Kuina. He's told me how you helped him yesteday."

Luffy took the hand, shaking it once. He grinned bashfully. "He got stuck, I just helped him get unstuck."

"Well, thank you... um... Luffy? Am I saying it right?" 

"Yep!" 

"Then, thank you, Luffy," Kuina said gratefully. "Zoro's still not quite used to maneuvering a powerchair yet."

"...Kuina..." Zoro said, flushing with embarrassment.

She turned back to Zoro, "But you'll get the hang of it one day. Okay, let's get some food into you. Luffy?"

"Yeah?" It was then that it occured to Luffy that Zoro probably wouldn't want to be seen being fed by his sister. "Oh, I see. I gotta get back to work anyway, so I'll leave you to your lunch. Ja na, Zoro!"

\--------------------

After putting his things away in his assigned locker, Luffy rushed to the administrators office to see what his assignments for the day were. He only had one more day here before his community service sentence was up. Except for Zoro, he wasn't going to miss this place at all. The elderly residents here were friendly enough, but this really wasn't his kind of work. The only highlight to his days was talking to the green-haired man. 

He slowed down as he got to the administrator's office, knocking and entering.

\----------------------

"You're doing a great job, Luffy," Administrator Hina commended. "Makes me wish you were here as part of my regular employee roster. "Anyway," she said as she handed him a sheet of paper. Luffy looked it over as she continued. "These residents will need to be fed their lunch later. It's not a hard job, but it can be time consuming. Then after that, I'll need you to-"

"Feed them?" Luffy asked, eyes wide. "As in hand feed them?"

"Yes. They are unable to feed themselves. Is there a problem?" She asked.

Luffy looked again to the sheet of paper. Typed right on it, among other names and numbers, was Room# 255: Roronoa. "N-No, just, Roronoa-"

"Oh, he looks a bit on the mean side, and he never smiles, but he's actually really sweet," she said. "His sister usually comes to feed him lunch and dinner, but she can't make it today for lunch. So you'll be the one feeding him."

"But-"

"Don't worry. His food was brought here this morning, and he won't give you any trouble," she reassured. "After the residents eat, you'll write down what they ate, and how much, and turn it back in here. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." Luffy sighed. How could he tell Administrator Hina about how Zoro felt? He was embarrassed just having Luffy watch him! What was he going to think of him being the one to feed him? Luffy walked out of the office, paper in hand, shutting the door behind him.

\--------------------

Noon rolled around a lot faster than Luffy would have liked, and before he knew it, Zoro was next on his list of residents to feed. Apparently, Kuina made him lunch everyday because he'd had a nice homemade lunch prepared again today. 

Luffy knocked quietly on Zoro's door, carefully entering when no one answered. The sight that met his eyes made him smile. Zoro was asleep in his chair; a fuzzy yellow blanket draped over him. His head was tilted slightly on the chair's headrest, and he looked to be having a pleasant dream. Just as Luffy was about to waken him, his ears picked up a low mumble from the green-haired man. Something that ended with a name sounding like "Sanji".

"Zoro?" Luffy asked quietly, as he gently shook the man in question.

Zoro awoke with a snort, shook his head a bit, and opened his good eye, peering sleepily up at Luffy. He wanted to wipe at it, but his arms were strapped down to the armrests of his chair, but even had they not been, he'd lost almost all the use of his hands. 

Luffy swallowed nervously, then put on a smile that he really didn't feel. "Have a good sleep? I brought you lunch!"

"Shit," Zoro swore. Then he looked up at Luffy. "It's not you. I was... having a good dream." 

"I saw," Luffy admitted. He set up Zoro's rolling table in front of him, setting down the covered plate upon it. "What were you dreaming about?"

"My life... before the accident," he said evasively, a wistful note in his voice. "You can leave that there," he said, indicating the bedside table.

"I can't just leave it here..." Luffy said, hoping Zoro would catch on without him coming out and saying it.

"One of the..." Zoro began, then he did catch on. "Oh shit. Don't tell me you..."

"Yeah, I have feeding duty today, and you're on my list of residents I hafta feed." Luffy told him, showing Zoro the paper. "I know you're not comfortable with me doing it 'cause I'm not your sister, but I'll try my best to make you feel comfortable, okay?" Luffy took the chair near Zoro.

There was another long silence before Zoro sighed heavily. "Shit. I guess it was bound to happen. Just get it over with. Not like I can do anything about it." He averted his eyes, scowling.

Luffy opened up the covered plate, noting that the lunch looked really delicious. There was curry with a couple of scoops of white rice, and a few pieces of pickled daikon, and roasted vegetables as sides. "Looks good," Luffy said to try to take Zoro's mind off of his predicament. It didn't work though. Looking up, Luffy noticed that Zoro's expression had stayed the same.

Luffy took a deep breath, letting it out again before nervously picking up the provided spoon. He scooped up a bit of the curry and rice, and brought it up to the green-haired man's lips. Zoro took his own exasperated breath before begrudgingly opening his mouth, accepting the spoon. "I wish I could still do this myself."

Luffy scooped up another spoonful, Zoro opening his mouth, Luffy carefully sticking the spoon in, catching any stray drops that dripped down his chin. 

"Damn, I hate being like this," Zoro muttered in between spoonfuls.

As he scooped up another spoonful, Luffy asked, "What happened to make you like this?"

"I was in a road accident," Zoro said simply, hoping that that would sate Luffy's curiousity enough so that he wouldn't ask more questions.

Luffy was quiet for a while, feeding the man he had begun to think of as his friend. Then, curiousity getting the best of him again, he asked, "Who's Sanji?"

Zoro nearly choked at the question, getting bits of food all over himself and Luffy. "H-How do you know that name?"

Luffy wiped the food off Zoro's chin and shirt with a napkin, then used another for his own clothes. "You were talking in your sleep. I couldn't make out the rest of it though, all I heard was "Sanji"... Who is he to you?"

Zoro sighed. There was really no point in hiding it now, he felt. May as well tell Luffy his story. He just hoped that Luffy wasn't the judgemental type. "Sanji was... Sanji was my... My boyfriend."

"Was?" Luffy asked. Zoro had had a boyfriend? That was really nice, he thought, having a boyfriend like Zoro. But then that brought up another question, "Did he break up with you because you were paralysed in the accident?"

Zoro raised his eyebrows, pleased at least that Luffy hadn't reacted badly to his having had a boyfriend. "No, he wasn't that kind of person. It's just... he's the reason I'm still alive." 

"Oh..." Luffy breathed.

"He was... killed... when our car was hit by that drunk driver..." Zoro's voice wavered as unwanted tears welled in his good eye. Unable to wipe them, they spilled down onto his cheek. "Shit." He frowned. "Damn, I hate when this happens..."

Luffy reached up, carefully wiping Zoro's face with a tissue. Zoro was silent for a moment before continuing. "Although we were wearing our seatbelts, he threw his arm out just before impact to keep me pushed back, protecting me... And that's all I remember from it... until I awoke from a three month long coma. I'd lost my left eye, and nearly lost my _own_ life in that accident... If it hadn't been for Sanji..." Fresh tears ran their ways down his cheeks again. Luffy wiped them.

Luffy's own eyes misted, and he had to blink to keep Zoro from seeing. "You really loved Sanji, didn't you?" Zoro nodded. "What was Sanji like?" Luffy asked, hoping to help Zoro remember good things.

Zoro's lips twitched, showing the first signs of a smile Luffy had seen from him. "He had a temper and a dirty mouth, but... he was a romantic idiot, and the greatest cook I ever knew." He blinked hard, holding back tears even as he smiled. "Meals were always amazing, even when the pantry was full of crap. Sure wish I'd listened when he tried to teach me stuff about cooking." He looked away from Luffy again. "I thought he'd always be there to do it for me."

Luffy's eyes widened as Zoro happily described his boyfriend to him. No wonder he'd been so torn up over losing him. "Sounds like he could have been a chef at some point."

"Yeah," Zoro sighed, his smile fading. "He might as well have been. That autumn, we were supposed to go to Europe together so he could go to a world-class culinary school on some scholarship..."

"But then, _it_ happened..." Luffy finished for him. Zoro nodded slowly, head down, the tears beginning to form in his eye again.

"That drunk driver..." Zoro paused. "I hate living like this. Feel like I can't do anything on my own." His brow furrowed. "I need permission to go outside or do anything with my own sister. That accident took everything from me, and the worst part is, the guy who caused it was barely hurt... and I can't even fight him."

"Zoro..." Luffy whispered.

Just then, one of the CNAs burst in, scaring both Luffy and Zoro half to death. She saw Luffy sitting in front of Zoro, a half-finished plate in front of the green-haired resident. "What's going on in here? I heard a raised voice! He needs to be fed, not bothered!"

The CNAs liked Zoro, and were very protective of him. But he only tolerated them to a point. "Luffy isn't bothering me," he said calmly. "We were just talking and I got upset."

She could see that he'd been crying, but didn't say anything about that. Instead she asked, "Is there anything you need, Roronoa-san?"

Zoro held in a sigh. "No. Thank you though."

She turned to Luffy, an annoyed look on her face. "See that you finish feeding him. He needs to be put down for his nap soon." 

And with that she left, shutting the door behind her. Had Zoro had full use of his fingers, and his arms not strapped down, he would have pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"They treat me like a, I dunno, a kid or something," he sighed. "But then Kuina was the one who told them I like naps everyday. Go figure."

Luffy smiled warmly as he resumed feeding Zoro. "My brother, he had a mean case of narcolepsy. Would sometimes fall asleep right in his food!"

Zoro then did something he hadn't done in a long while. He laughed. Laughed to the point that he could barely catch his breath. A hearty laugh full of mirth.

Luffy noticed that Zoro's whole face and demeanor changed when he laughed. He liked the change. It meant that Zoro was happy. "Yeah, Ace was great." Luffy fondly remembered. "He would have liked you. Being about your age now and all."

"I think Sanji would have liked you too. Well, once he warmed up to you anyway," Zoro said rolling his head on his headrest. "Sanji and I were the same age. Well, he was a few months older. Used to call me 'marimo'. That was ridiculous though. I'm not a fuzzy sea plant." 

Now that Zoro had mentioned it, Luffy could see the resemblence. But he didn't tell Zoro that. The rest of the meal was spent in comfortable silence.

"Hey," Zoro said after Luffy had finished feeding him and cleaning his face. "After my nap, maybe you could take me outside? I'm bored of this place."

"Yeah, let's do that!" Luffy exclaimed, fist in the air. "I don't like this place either. I know you don't 'cause you hafta live here."

"If only you knew the depth of my hatred for this place," Zoro remarked, closing his eye and leaning his head back on the headrest. "If I have to live like this, I'd rather be at home with Kuina. Until my accident, I thought nursing homes were for old people."

"Maybe one day you can get outta here," Luffy told him.

"It's doubtful," Zoro sighed. "I wanna walk and become independent again, but they don't have the means to give me the extensive rehabilitation I'd need to do it." Zoro yawned, getting sleepy again, so used to getting his after lunch nap. "I wanna do things for myself sometime, like try to eat by myself, but they keep my arms strapped down. I guess they think I'll accidentally hurt myself if they're free."

Luffy looked down at Zoro's arms, then he unstrapped them from their armrests, first the right, then the left. Zoro looked down in surprise as Luffy did so.

A happy grin lit up the older man's face as he lifted his arms, peering at his hands. "Oh, thank you so much! I feel freer now."

"How come you can move your arms if you're a quadriplegic?" Luffy asked curiously.

"What's mobile when you're a quadriplegic depends on where your spinal cord was injured," Zoro explained. "I can move my arms, but don't have much use of my hands, other than clumsily operating the powerchair."

Luffy grasped one of Zoro's hands. "Your hands look like they used to be strong."

"They were. I used to be really into kendo and martial arts before the accident."

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and then four different CNAs entered. One of them glared angrily at Luffy, while the other three readied Zoro for his nap. "You're still here? Stop bothering Roronoa-san and get back to work!"

"He's not bothering me. I enjoy his company," Zoro told her as politely as he could while holding in his frustration. "Let him stay as long as he likes."

"But, Roronoa-san, Administrator Hina-"

"Please, just tell her what I said," Zoro pleaded, knowing that it was because they cared about him, that they would do as he asked. "Okay?"

"Okay," she said as they situated him in his bed on his side, then covered him with his fuzzy yellow blanket. They slipped an oxygen mask over his face, adjusted his pillow, and pulled up the railings on his bed. 

"Have a nice nap, Roronoa-san!" She said before she and the other CNAs filed out of the room, quietly closing the door.

"Shit," Zoro said after a moment. "They forgot to turn on my radio again. Get it for me, will you Luffy?"

Luffy got up from where he'd been sitting and switched on the radio for Zoro. An old tune he'd recognized from music his father listened to quietly drifted from the speakers. "American Classic Rock?" Luffy asked amused. "You don't strike me as being an American Classic Rock fan."

"I know! A 21 years old Japanese guy listening to American Classic Rock. What are the odds, right?" Zoro smiled through the mask. 

"Well actually, you seem more of a, I dunno, a... well... a rock fan, but more along the lines of metal or alternative, to me."

"I like that too, but more the classics than today's," Zoro explained as he slid his hand under his pillow. Just then, a song with a haunting melody floated out of the speaker. "Okay, I don't like this song. Turn it quick, that tune gives me the creeps."

Luffy touched the dial button, watching the digits go up, then stop at the next station. "Is this good?" He asked as a cheerful Japanese dance tune filled the air around them.

"Not really," Zoro yawned, closing his eye. "But it's better than that other song. You can turn it back in a few minutes."

"What _was_ that other song anyway?"

"Hotel California." Zoro murmured as he slipped into slumber, his head beginning to fill with dreams.


	3. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro talks to Luffy about his life in the nursing home and how much he wishes he didn't have to live there; Luffy then talks to Kuina about taking Zoro out and having him live at home with her. Also, Zoro catches a cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The main change to this chapter besides us fixing bits of Zoro's dialogue, was that I took Kuina's father out of this chapter, mainly because he's not really ever mentioned or spoken of again anywhere else in the fic

"It feels good to get outside!" Zoro said, breathing deeply of the cool, crisp, not-quite-spring air. "I don't get outdoors very often."

They were in the spacious courtyard of the nursing home. It was a nice, partly sunny day with a light smattering of clouds. Other residents and CNAs were sprinkled about the place in different areas.

"Why not?" Luffy asked, walking as Zoro's chair quietly buzzed along beside him. There was a slight flush on Zoro's face, and that concerned him a little.

"They have a hundred-something other residents here to tend to," The green-haired man explained. "They can't just cater to me."

"How often do they take you outside?"

"The last time, was..." Zoro did the math in his head. "A couple days before you started working here."

"Two weeks ago?!" Luffy blurted out before he remembered to speak at a more normal level. "That's too long."

"There are bedridden people here who call for a CNA because they've had an accident, and it sometimes takes them as much as twenty minutes or more to come change them." Zoro explained as he stopped the chair under a shade tree, watching a squirrel climb down, going about it's business as if they weren't there. "There's a shortage of workers here. Being changed after an accident is a need, going outside is a want. I don't wanna bother them anymore than I already do."

"It's not really bothering us. Not me anyway. It's our job to see to your needs," Luffy corrected, sitting on a nearby bench.

Zoro sighed, "I know, but I don't really think they are paid enough to really care. They seem to like me enough, but it's probably more out of pity for what happened to me than anything else."

"Yeah, that accident was so bad, it was actually in the news," Luffy told him. "I think it was yours anyway."

"It was? Explains why everyone seems to know what happened to me," Zoro said knowingly, twisting his lips a bit.

"Also, I'm not being paid to do this. It's community service," Luffy admitted. "You're the only reason I don't completely hate coming here to work. I hate that I only have one more day to talk to you."

"Give Kuina or me your number," Zoro said. "That way we can stay in touch."

Luffy grinned widely. "Sounds good!" Then his grin faded. "Though... you won't be able to answer the phone when Kuins's not around, will you?"

Zoro shook his head once.

"That accident really messed you up bad, didn't it?" Luffy said, sympathy lacing his voice.

Zoro nodded once. "My body and my life. My heart longs to spar with Kuina again in one more kendo match... But, I can't even hold a shinai anymore. She understands, but I still feel like I've let her down."

"Why? Like you said earlier, the accident wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could do."

"I know. It's just that kendo meant a lot to me... To us. It was my life. Now my life has been shattered into so many pieces, I couldn't even attempt to put it back together." Tears began to prick his eyes. He wiped at them as best he could with his hands. "Shit... Let's just talk about something else, okay?"

"I'm sorry," Luffy murmured as he watched a bird land near them in expectation of food. He gave it a pellet he'd gotten from a coin machine in the courtyard. "So... Have you talked to Kuina about how you feel about living here?"

"No, I haven't," Zoro admitted, sighing. "And I'm not gonna. She has enough to worry about without trying to change me into a different home."

"No, what I mean is, why can't she make arrangements for you to live at home?"

"She works a full time job, plus she doesn't have the skills to take care of... me. Not to mention that I've heard that caring for people drains you emotionally and physically. I didn't fight going into the home because I didn't wanna be a burden on my sister."

"There are places you can go during the day, where you can do activities and stuff, then when she gets off work, she can pick you up," Luffy said reasonably. "Or they can bring you home. Whatever's convenient. It's like a daycare, but for adults."

"I didn't know they had places like that," Zoro said, thinking. "Sounds like it'd be better than this place. And I'd get to go home everyday. Maybe I should talk to Kuina about it."

"You should. I think you would be happier, and you deserve to be happy." 

\--------------------

"Come on, Little Brother. I know you're not feeling well," Kuina gently cooed, moving the table with Zoro's half-finished dinner away from his chair. "Let's get you into some pajamas so we can get you into bed."

The backs of Zoro's nasal canal and throat were feeling itchy, he was starting to feel a little achy, and according to Kuina, he had a low-grade fever.

Kuina was taking off Zoro's shirt just as Luffy knocked and peeked in. As he stepped in, he stared wide eyed at the long, diagonal scar etched deeply into Zoro's chest. There were a few others, but that one was the worst one.

"Hi Luffy," the older woman greeted as she removed Zoro's pants and socks. "Zoro's not feeling well, so I'm putting him to bed for the evening."

Luffy remembered seeing the flush on Zoro's face earlier while they were outdoors, but he hadn't thought much else of it until now. 

Kuina pulled a long sleeved blue pajama shirt over Zoro's head, helping him thread his arms through the sleeves. Then she and the two CNAs who were with them, lifted him into bed, where Kuina put him on a pair of pajama pants. 

She picked up a bottle of liquid cold medication, and a medicine measuring cup, filling it to the fill line before bringing it to Zoro's lips. Zoro turned his head, weakly trying to push away her hand. "...No..."

"I know you don't like taking medicine," Kuina said, attempting to administer the meds again. "But it'll help you sleep, and make you feel better in the morning."

"...No, don't need any..."

She lay a hand on his forehead, "Your fever is getting worse. You have to take your medicine."

Luffy walked over, laying his hand on Zoro's warmer-than-usual shoulder. "Come on, Zoro. Do it for me? I don't want you to be sick. I wanna see you get better."

Zoro seemed to think it over for a bit. He considered Luffy his friend. And he didn't want to disappoint him. So after a bit more thought, he sighed, "...Okay..."

Kuina put the cup to his lips again, and he quickly swallowed the contents. The CNAs then helped her swaddle Zoro into his blanket. She covered him with another blanket, adjusted his pillow, put on his oxygen mask, and turned on his radio to a station that played soft, soothing music. She then ushered the CNAs out of the room, save for Luffy.

"Have a good sleep, Little Brother. I love you," Kuina whispered, kissing him on his forehead, just before she pulled up the railings on his bed. 

Zoro whispered, "Love you too, Kuina." as his eye drifted closed.

Kuina waited until Zoro was asleep before whispering to Luffy, "I need to talk to you."

Kuina followed Luffy out into the hall, closing the door to Zoro's room. "Want to get a snack from the cafeteria?"

\--------------------

"You're special to Zoro, you know that right?" Kuina said as she sipped a canned coffee she'd gotten from a vending machine.

Luffy looked puzzled, as he chewed on a beef jerky. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't let just anyone call him by his given name," she said. "When he does, it means he's taken a liking to you."

"He told me to call him Zoro after I helped him get his chair unstuck," Luffy told her about that day.

"You must've really impressed him that day," Kuina said admiringly. "So much so, that it brought him out of the shell he'd been in since awakening to find out that Sanji was dead, and that he'd been paralysed." She paused before continuing. "I see you also got him to open up, finally, about Sanji."

"Yeah, he told me about Sanji, what Sanji meant to him, and how he'd died," Luffy related. "But if Sanji had his arm across Zoro's chest when the other car hit, how did Zoro get that kind of scar?"

"Zoro doesn't know this, because I've never told him." Kuina took a deep breath, letting it out again before continuing. "But Sanji's hand was severed near the wrist, trying to save Zoro's life."

"Why don't you wanna tell him?" Luffy asked, confused. 

"Because Zoro knew how much Sanji's hands meant to him," Kuina replied. "And on top of his death, if Zoro knew how Sanji had sacrificed one of his prized hands to save him..."

"It would break his heart," Luffy finished for her.

Kuina nodded. "That was probably about the only thing that saved Zoro's life, because the car was totaled and they were trapped inside. It took them nearly an hour to free my brother from the twisted wreckage that was their car. I'm not entirely sure, but I think Sanji died on impact, or shortly after. There were no signs of life from him when the police and paramedics arrived."

"Wow..." 

"When they finally pulled Zoro out, unconscious but alive, I was so relieved," Kuina sighed, smiling a little. Then the smile faded as she went on, "But then there was the wait for him to wake up, which stretched into three long, harrowing months... It was in the middle of the night when Zoro finally woke up, calling desperately for Sanji. It hurt me to tell him what had happened, but I didn't have the heart to keep the truth from him either.

"Even now, Zoro feels bad about being unable to attend Sanji's funeral. About being unable to say goodbye to Sanji one last time. I try to tell him it couldn't be helped, but he still continues to feel that way. While Zoro's not the suicidal type, until he met you, all the life had gone out of him.

"I have to say, I'm really glad you came along when you did. Zoro had been in that funk ever since it sunk in that Sanji had been killed, and he'd never see him again. That was about four months ago. He really just about lost it when Sanji's birthday rolled around last week. On that day, I took him to Sanji's grave. Although Sanji wasn't alive to hear it, Zoro poured his heart out to him, saying all the things that he'd never gotten to say at his funeral."

Luffy remembered that day. He'd arrived that morning to find Zoro gone. He'd stayed gone nearly the whole day, and when he'd gotten back, his eye was puffy and red, and he'd been very quiet (even by his own standards) and subdued. Luffy had wondered what had happened to him.

Kuina sat in quiet contemplation for a long while. When she spoke again, it was with firm resolve. "I'm going to speak to Administrator Hina about taking you on as a regular employee while Zoro resides here. He needs someone he can talk and relate to. Someone he can be happy with again." 

"Zoro's told me that he hates this place," Luffy said, remembering what had been talked about earlier. "He wants to get out, but he said he doesn't want to be a burden on you."

"He'd never be a burden on me," Kuina stated truthfully. "It's just that, since I work, he wouldn't be getting the best care I could give him. Here, he's well cared for, so he's better off staying here."

"A 21 year old really shouldn't have to spend his life in a nursing home," Luffy told her gently. "I understand what happened to him, and that it can't be changed, but I really don't think keeping him in a nursing home he hates is the answer."

"Well, what do you feel I should do then," Kuina asked, slightly miffed that her decision to keep Zoro in the home was being challenged, although she knew Luffy was being as diplomatic as possible.

"I told Zoro about these places where he can go during the day, then either you could pick him up when you got off work, or they could drop him off at home. He gets the care he needs during the day and he gets to go home in the evening. It's a win-win, don't you think?"

"I've heard about places like that, and it sounds good and all, but I don't think that those places are equipped to care for a quadriplegic," she replied, taking a sip of coffee. "Plus, I'd need to get someone who could help me with him at home. Zoro is totally dependent on others."

"I could do it," Luffy said. "He's my friend."

"There would be a lot of heavy lifting involved, and he's unable to sit up on his own. He'd need to be lifted into and out of his powerchair. He needs to be fed and clothed, among other things." She ticked each thing off on her fingers. "I know he's your friend, but do you think you have the mental---the dedication it takes to help care for him? It can be a lot of work, and there's no telling if he'll ever recover." 

Luffy didn't hesitate. He'd already made up his mind. "Yes!" he resolved, nodding firmly.

"I still don't know," Kuina said, still hesitating. "I still think he'd be better off staying here. At least until I can look into those adult care centers we were talking about."

"But Zoro-"

"He's been here for a few months. A little more time won't hurt him," Kuina told Luffy as she sipped the last of her coffee. "Look. I know how you feel about this, but for now, this, where he is now, is for the best, okay?"

Luffy sort of agreed, but he didn't like it. He felt, as he had earlier, that Zoro should be somewhere he'd be happy, not living in a nursing home with no idea when he'd be getting out.

"Anyway, like I said in the beginning, you're important to my little brother, and he's important to me. He's happier with you around, so I want you to be one of his main caregivers."

"But-"

"I'll speak with Administrator Hina in the morning, when I bring Zoro's breakfast and lunch," Kuina went on. "I know you don't really like it here either. Zoro told me that. But, please, just do this for me. Do it for Zoro."

Luffy was about to protest, tell her that he really didn't want to continue working here. But then, he really liked Zoro, and really didn't want him to withdraw again, so he decided that maybe what Kuina wanted was for the best for now. "Alright."

\--------------------

"His fever has gone down some," Kuina said in a quiet voice, laying her hand lightly onto Zoro's damp forehead. "But he's not quite in the clear." She stroked his flushed cheek, before removing her hand. "He'll need to be fed some more chicken noodle soup or rice porridge when he wakes up." She came back over, sitting next to Luffy.

"He's really good at hiding how he's feeling," Luffy remarked. "I noticed his face earlier, but I didn't know he was sick until you'd said something about it later."

"He is good at hiding it," Kuina agreed. "He was the kind of kid who'd scrape his knee, get up, and keep right on playing, even though it must have really hurt."

"What kind of kid was he?" Luffy asked.

"He was more serious minded than most other kids. And when he learned kendo, he was totally dedicated to his craft. He would've been a master, but," She dropped her voice to a whisper, "He could never beat me. I had looked forward to the day when he'd finally attain his goal of beating me and becoming a kendo master, but well, you know."

They were quiet for a long while, each absorbed in their own thoughts, while Zoro went on sleeping peacefully. Then Luffy thought of something. Something he'd been wondering about. He spoke quietly, turning to Kuina. "Zoro has such pretty green hair. I've never seen anything like it. Which side of the family does he get it from?"

Kuina's answer surprised him.

"Actually, while I consider him my brother, we're... not really... blood related. He was orphaned as a small child, and we adopted him."

"Wow..." Luffy breathed, as he tugged on a stray string on his shirt. "That's like me 'n' Ace. He was my brother. We weren't blood related either, but a better big brother you'd never find."

"That's how I feel about Zoro." Kuina smiled warmly. "He seems to have a gruff exterior, but inside he's sugary sweet. Just don't tell him I said that. He'd be mortified!" She chuckled quietly.

"I won't," Luffy promised, giving Kuina a warm smile back. He stood up. "It's almost time for me to check out. I'll be here a little earlier tomorrow though, to check up on Zoro."

"Thanks," Kuina said. "I'm gonna stay for a while longer, to see if Zoro needs anything."

"Alright, see you in the morning." He walked over to Zoro's bed, leaned down and whispered, "Have a good night's sleep, Zoro."


	4. Memories Of Sanji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Zoro's asleep, Luffy looks at one of Zoro's home movies to learn more about Sanji. The sound of Sanji's voice wakes Zoro who then proceeds to tell Luffy about how he met Sanji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pingo1387 helped me greatly on this part. Zoro no longer gushes like a girl as he recalls Sanji, as he did in the original chapter :-)

After Luffy put his things away in his locker, he reluctantly reported to Administrator Hina's office for his day's assignments. He wondered whether or not Kuina was here, and if so, had she already talked to Hina?

He knocked quietly, even though the door was open. 

"Luffy, come in and close the door," Administrator Hina asked of him. Luffy did as he was told. She offered him a chair. "Please sit down. I need to talk to you." He nervously sat down.

She got straight to the point. "Roronoa Kuina-san has talked to me about extending your employment here at Hanamizuki Nursing Home, mainly to help care for her brother Roronoa Zoro in her absence." Administrator Hina leaned over her desk, lacing her fingers. "As I'm sure you've noticed, Zoro is completely dependent on others to help him in day-to-day things. He'll need to be fed breakfast everyday, along with lunch if Kuina cannot make it here. You'll wake him in the mornings, and help get him dressed. Here," she said, going into her desk and pulling out a sheet of paper, handing it to him. "That is the list of things he needs done, and when they'll need to be done."

It wasn't until Luffy looked the list over, that he finally realized just how dependent a quadriplegic was for _everything_. There was absolutely nothing Zoro could do for himself. Emotions warred within Luffy's heart. Sadness that Zoro was forced to be so dependent on others, and anger toward the man who'd caused Zoro to become a quadriplegic in the first place

"Kuina wanted to make sure you understood exactly what you needed to do," Hina told him. "She wants to make sure you'll be able to do what will be required of you, should you accept this job." 

"I accept," Luffy said without missing a beat. "Zoro's my friend. I'll do whatever I need to do for him."

"That's good," Administrator Hina said as she leaned back in her chair again. "To tell the truth, I knew you two would get along once you got to know each other. Anyway, Zoro isn't feeling well today, so he'll need for you to take extra special care of him. It shouldn't be too hard. Just make sure he gets his medicine, some food into him, plenty of fluids, and plenty of rest."

\--------------------

Luffy knocked quietly on Zoro's door, hearing Kuina beckon him in. Zoro's bed was adjusted so that he was sitting upright. He was covered up with his blanket to his chest, and was wearing an oversized, off-white, comfortable-looking hoodie with the hood pulled up over his head. There was a cloth barbeque bib fastened around his neck and there were pillows tucked around him. Kuina sat next to the bed with what looked to be a small bowl of rice porridge in one hand and a spoon in the other, trying to coax the young man to eat.

"Don't want anymore, Kuina..." Zoro turned his head.

"You've barely had three bites," Kuina gently but firmly reminded him. "You have to eat more. Hi Luffy," she said as he walked over to the green-haired man's bed.

"Hi Kuina," he said. Then, "Zoro~!" He hugged the green-haired man, despite the fact that he could catch his cold.

Zoro smiled weakly, "Hey."

"You feeling any better than you were yesterday?" Luffy asked.

Zoro had been about to say, 'Not really', but he didn't want to make Luffy worry, so he said, "A little." 

"That's good!" Luffy exclaimed as he squeezed Zoro again. 

Kuina smiled at the two guys. "Tell you what. Let me finish feeding him, then you can hug him all you want, okay?"

Luffy nodded as he backed away from Zoro. "Okay!"

She turned back to Zoro. "I know you want to lie back down. Let's finish this, and you can lie down and I'll tuck you in, okay?" Kuina cajoled as she brought the spoon to Zoro's mouth again.

Zoro didn't know _what_ she meant by 'let's', since _he_ was the one being forced to eat something he could barely stomach.

"Come on, Zoro," Kuina prodded in her gentle manner. "I know you don't like the taste of it, but it's hot, it'll make you feel better."

Just then, Luffy had an idea. He raised his hands and cheered, "Come on, Zoro, you can do it!"

Despite Zoro's best efforts, he cracked a smile. "Okay, okay, I'll eat."

"Yay!"

Kuina chuckled as she placed the spoon into Zoro's open mouth. "Cheer him on Luffy!"

Between Luffy and Kuina, they got Zoro fed, his face cleaned, and his medicine taken. Kuina was about to adjust his bed so that he could lie down again, but he told her that he wanted to stay sitting up for a while, to talk to Luffy.

"I need to go to work now, Zoro," she said pulling up his railing, then gathering her things. "I'll be back later."

Zoro nodded, as she gave him a goodbye kiss on his forehead. "See you at lunch time, love you!" she said.

"Love you too," he said as he watched her leave. When the door shut, he turned to Luffy. "Anything you wanna do? There's not much here, but I've got a DVD player and some CDs for the radio."

"Let's be pirates then!" Luffy exclaimed happily throwing his fists in the air.

Zoro cocked his head and wrinkled his nose. "Pirates? How old _are_ you?"

"Old enough to be a pirate!" Luffy said without missing a beat.

Zoro chuckled, "Aren't pirates bad guys though? I'd rather be a sword-wielding bounty hunter."

"Pirates are adventurers!" Luffy explained happily. "They're free and have lots of fun adventures on the open seas! Besides, you can be my sword-wielding first mate!"

"Well, when you put it like that, being a pirate does sound like fun," Zoro began. "But where's our pirate ship?" He asked, not realizing he was starting to get into Luffy's imagination. An explosive sneeze erupted just then, and Zoro's nose began to run. He tried to sniff it back up.

Luffy grabbed a couple of tissues and wiped Zoro's nose, allowing him to blow it. "You're sitting in it," Luffy told him as if it should be obvious. He went to toss the tissues and wash his hands.

"My bed? My bed can't be a pirate ship!" Zoro objected.

"Sure it can!"

"It's a bed!" Zoro pointed out. "Besides, how am I gonna have an adventure when I can't even get out of the ship?"

"Hmm..." Luffy said thinking. "We could have adventures _on_ the ship!" He said as he moved a chair until it was against the side of Zoro's bed.

"That'll work," Zoro muttered, when he'd thought about it. The medication induced drowsiness hit him then, and he yawned deeply.

"That medicine got you sleepy?" Luffy asked, surprised. 

Zoro nodded, yawning again.

Luffy grabbed the bed control. "You wanna lie down?" 

Zoro shook his head. He knew how badly Luffy wanted to play pirates with him. "Nah, s'kay... Can still play with you..."

"But if you're sleepy..." Luffy said concerned as Zoro's eye drifted closed, then he shook his head to try to wake himself back up again. He fought to stay awake for a good while, but ultimately lost the battle. Luffy slowly let down the head of the bed until Zoro was lying down on his back. He rolled over the green-haired man until he was on his side, then Luffy covered him up to his neck with his yellow blanket. He slipped the oxygen mask over Zoro's face, then turned on his radio, finding it on the same station it had been on the night before. 

Luffy peered into a somewhat sizable bin of CDs that was situated on the table behind the player. He flipped through them, being surprised at some of the bands and artists he'd found. He found a lot of American Classic Rock bands, but also bands like Rush, Aerosmith, and U2 who were still making music today. He must really like Rush, Luffy mused, because their CDs outnumbered the Aerosmith and U2 CDs combined. There was a lot of 80's pop music sprinkled in as well, American, British, and.... Japanese. This really surprised Luffy. He didn't think Zoro listened to _any_ Japanese music despite being Japanese himself. 

He flipped through a few more until he came to what looked like a homemade CD. The booklet inside had a glued on photo of a nice loooking blond man whose left eye was hidden by the fringe of his long bangs. His visible eyebrow curled into a spiral at the outer end. There were little flowers drawn in marker surrounding the photo, and at the top, the words 'For Zoro From Sanji. I (Heart) U' were written in metalic gold glitter. The heart was done in red glitter. There was also a tiny heart drawn on the i in Sanji's name. The whole jewel case smelled faintly of cigarette smoke, and something else Luffy couldn't put his finger on.

So this must be Sanji, Luffy thought, as he gazed at the photo. He was as nice looking as Zoro, though Zoro looked to be more of the bodybuilding, martial arts type, and Sanji more of the... well... _not_ bodybuilding, martial arts type. 

Luffy smiled. So this was the man who'd stolen Zoro's heart, and made him so happy while he'd been alive. The chef who could make anything you could ever dream up, as Zoro had told him. The man who'd had so much potential.

So much potential. 

Wasted.

Gone down the drain. 

All because some dickhead loser decided to go on some kind of drinking binge that day, and get in the car, ruining the lives of two wonderful young people.

Luffy shook his head, realizing he was still holding the CD. He flipped it over to the back. More marker drawn flowers, and a few hearts interspersed. And in the middle of it all, a neatly handwritten love song list that consisted of about 16 songs with "Love", or "Together", or "Forever" somewhere in their titles. Sanji had apparently intended for him and Zoro to be together forever. Hell, that was even one of the song titles, "Together Forever".

He hoped that that drunk driver was, right now, a wallowing heap of misery because of what he'd done.

Luffy wanted to look inside the CD case, but didn't want to intrude anymore on what was obviously something very important, and very private of Zoro's. If Zoro wanted him to know more about it, he'd tell him. He slowly, _carefully_ slipped the CD back into it's slot and continued to flip through the others. 

He came upon another homemade CD, but this one was different. The booklet had green grass colored in crayon on the cover along with a dark blue sky, a yellow moon, and lots of stars. An up-close photo of Zoro as a child, taken while he was in a futon asleep, was pasted into the middle of the picture. The title read simply, 'Zoro' in a child's hand writing. He smiled as he flipped to the back and read the titles of about twelve children's bedtime songs and lullabyes written in a more adult handwriting. Apparently, Kuina and a parent had put this together for Zoro when he'd been a child. 

This time he did open the jewel case and gently took the CD off it's grip. It was decorated with a label full of stars and a moon like the cover was. After a bit of thought, he opened the player, and placed the CD in. Flipping the radio to CD mode, he waited for the total track count and CD time to come up, then he pressed play. 

A wonderful, soothing melody quietly filled the air in the room, and Zoro's body seemed to further relax. Sleeping in his hoodie, he looked innocent and almost as childlike as he had in the picture on the CD booklet.

Luffy gazed at Zoro's nearly perfect skin. Except for the vertical scar that sliced through the area where his eye had been, there were no blemishes on his face. Even the scar was smooth and flat, no stitch marks or jagged edges. The scar under Luffy's own eye, by comparison, had stitch marks. 

Luffy stroked Zoro's cheek, then slipped his hand under his hood, surprised at the softness of Zoro's hair. It was like a sheet of satin. And that pretty light-green color went all the way down to the root which suggested that it was natural and not colored.

Luffy's heart ached for Zoro. He wished Zoro wanted him as a boyfriend, but the green-haired man was still recovering from the loss of Sanji to be able to love another man this quickly. Besides, Luffy didn't really feel _worthy_ of someone as great as Zoro. He sighed as he removed his hand. 

Luffy's eyes drifted toward the DVDs in the cabinet they were housed in. He went over and opened up the glass doors, peering inside. Most of the DVDs were either movies or box sets of retro TV shows, some Japanese, some American.

What caught his attention though, were the home videos. There were quite a few in the selection, but the one that stood out to him was one labeled simply, 'Sanji'. He slid it out of the cabinet, gazing at the cover. Many smiling photos of the blond man were carefully glued onto the case in a neat collage. 

Whether to open the DVD and play it or not warred inside Luffy's mind. Part of him didn't want to intrude on something of Zoro's that might be private, but then, Luffy wanted to hear Sanji's voice; see what Sanji was like, even if only for a few minutes. Eventually, the part of him that wanted to know what Sanji was like, won out. He opened the case, carefully pulling out the DVD. 

Turning on the tv, he opened the player's drawer and inserted the DVD. When the drawer retracted the disc, he waited until it read the disc, then he pressed play.

"Is this thing on?" Luffy heard a voice sound up close in the darkness, then the screen brightened as none other than Sanji himself appeared on the screen.

He was wearing a pair of pressed dark blue jeans and a cream-colored fooler shirt with long cherry red sleeves. There was a picture of a takoyaki on the front of it. 

"Um... What should I do?" The blond asked someone off-camera.

"I dunno, sing or dance? _Something_ ," The voice, which Luffy recognized as Zoro's, directed.

"If I'm gonna sing, you gotta join me, Marimo!" Sanji said, taking a cigarette out of his back pocket and lighting it.

"No way!"

"Then I'm not doing it," The blond huffed, as he blew out a stream of smoke.

"Okay, okay." The camera steadied as it was apparently mounted onto a tripod, then, to Luffy's shock, a much healthier-looking, two eyed Zoro appeared from behind the camera. His hair was slightly shorter and spikier than it was now, and he sported a plain white tank top under a short sleeved blue zip-up hoodie with lighter blue swirly patterns. He strode over to where Sanji was standing. "Fine, what song you wanna do?"

"I'll let you pick," Sanji said, taking aanother puff.

Luffy watched as Zoro went over to a nearby player, placing a CD in and pressing play. A familiar Queen tune filtered out of the speakers. 

"Don't Stop Me Now, by Queen?" Sanji inquired. "You really like the Classics, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do," Zoro answered, smirking in Sanji's face. "You got a problem with that?"

"No," Sanji pulled Zoro in for a tender, but heated kiss, tangling fingers in Zoro's hair. After a moment, he pulled away again, gazing at Zoro hungrily. "Not a damn one."

Zoro licked his lips; his eyelids opening slowly. He'd said something then that Luffy missed because he was too busy thinking of how much _he'd_ like to capture Zoro's lips like that.

The rest of the DVD consisted mostly of the two guys doing random music videos together and parkour (which Zoro had been better at than Sanji). There had even been a birthday party filmed which, going by the date in the video, looked to be the last one Sanji had celebrated before his untimely death. 

Watching the video gave Luffy a good sense of Sanji's personality. In some ways, he was a lot like Zoro, but in lots of other ways, he couldn't have been more different. He realized that the insults they sometimes hurled at each other were more terms of endearment than actual insults meant to hurt.

Eventually, he came to a part where only Sanji was onscreen. Luffy turned it up.

"Hey Marimo," the blond began. "I know we had our differences in the beginning, but... I'm really happy that I got to know you. I don't mean to sound sappy, but you're the best thing to ever happen to my life... so don't you ever forget how much I love you, Shithead." The last part had been said with obvious affection for Zoro.

Just then, Luffy heard, "I love you too, Sanji... Sanji?" It was Zoro calling out to Sanji from his bed. Luffy stopped the DVD, going over to Zoro, just in time to see his friend open a drowsy, but expectant eye.

In his foggy, cold medication-induced haze, Zoro stared at Luffy, drowsily blinking in confusion for a moment, as if only just realizing where he was. Once his mind cleared and he woke up more, the realization that he was in the nursing home and that Sanji was no longer alive, hadn't been alive for many months... hit him hard. 

A pain lanced through Luffy's heart as Zoro tried and failed to hold back an anguished sob. "I.... I really thought he was here with me..."

"I'm sorry, Zoro," Luffy apologized sincerely. "I was watching one of your home movies... I wanted to see what Sanji was like... I didn't mean to make you cry, I'm sorry!" He grabbed some tissues to wipe Zoro's face.

Zoro had been dreaming that Sanji was in the hospital, injured, but alive. He'd dreamt that he'd been in Sanji's room, and that they had been talking. To wake up to this cruel reality was nothing short of heartbreaking.

Luffy gently wiped the tears from Zoro's face, removing his oxygen mask and allowing him to blow his nose. He then got up to wet a washcloth with warm water. He brought it back over to his friend. "I'm really sorry Zoro," Luffy said as he lovingly swabbed Zoro's face.

"'S'ok..." Zoro murmured. "You didn't know..."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have looked at the DVD without your permission, at least," Luffy said as he finished cleaning Zoro's face. He folded the cloth neatly and placed it on a nearby table.

Zoro took another deep, shaky breath. "It's alright. I was the one who invited you to watch DVDs before I fell asleep."

"I could have watched a movie or something though," Luffy insisted. "Not gone through your personal stuff."

"How were you supposed to know what not to watch," Zoro inquired looking up at Luffy. "Don't worry about it." He offered a drowsy smile. "You still wanna play priates?"

"Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to know a little more about Sanji," Luffy surprised Zoro by asking. "He said that you and he had had your differences in the beginning."

Zoro sighed. Then, "Here, help me sit up."

Luffy did as he was told, rolling Zoro onto his back. Then he grabbed the control and pressed the button on it to elevate Zoro's head. He pulled and tucked the blanket around Zoro so that he was covered up to his chest again, but his arms were free. 

Zoro paused before beginning. "We didn't get along at first... we butted heads a lot. We still did, even after we started dating. 

"He was a ladies' man, or so he thought. I started to... like him about... a couple months, after we met, but he was still really annoying about girls. I didn't find out he felt the same way for a long time. 

"Our friendship had a rocky start, but we got pretty close soon. He finally told me he did like women, but he wasn't into them sexually. A few days later he admitted he liked guys, and I was his type, but he didn't wanna ruin our friendship. He just wanted to get it off his chest. So I told him how I felt, and after he got over himself, we started dating. 

"His dad, Zeff, didn't like me at first. I thought he didn't like the idea of two guys together, but it turned out he was just overprotective. We got to know each other and he warmed up to me." 

"Wow..." Luffy marvelled, leaing on the railings of Zoro's bed. "I think I would have liked to meet Sanji!" 

"He could be aggressive to new guys," Zoro said. "He was much nicer once you got to know him."

"What about the ladies man thing?" Luffy asked.

"I think he did genuinely love the ladies, but like I said, he wasn't interested sexually."

"So how old were you two when you met each other?" Luffy asked, handging onto Zoro's every word.

"He was sixteen, I was fifteen, gonna be sixteen that November."

"You guys were barely out of middle school!" Luffy exclaimed wide-eyed.

"True, though we didn't start dating until our second year of high school. He actually came here from France when he was little, and he told me he knew more Japanese than French at that point." He smiled at the memory. 

A happy grin spread over Luffy's face. "That sounds cool, to speak two languages!"

"I know, right? Sanji's French was kind of choppy at best though, so he didn't bother to teach me any. Said we could take a language class when we got to Europe." Zoro's face took on a longing, wistful look.

Luffy didn't want Zoro to start feeling sad again, so he asked, "How were you so good at parkour? That was the best I've seen."

"Oh parkour!" Zoro smiled again, oblivious to having his unhappy thoughts derailed. "I've always been athletic, so I was good at that. Sanji was a chef, so his skills were culinary."

"I'm not really great at parkour either," Luffy said, grinning widely.

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and they turned as Kuina entered. "Hi Boys!"

"Hi Kuina!" Luffy greeted happily.

"Hey Kuina. Is it lunchtime already?" Zoro asked, looking at the clock near his bed. "Damn! It is!"

"You had a long nap, didn't you?" She said, coming over and ruffling Zoro's hair.

"Stop that," he said, shaking his hair out, then trying to fix it back with hands that no longer worked correctly. "So what's for lunch today?"

"You get to choose," she said elusively, beaming happily.

Zoro looked confused for a second. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"What I mean, Little Brother, is..." she began as she pulled down the railings on Zoro's bed. "They let me off work early, so I'm taking you out to eat."

Luffy grinned as he helped Kuina get Zoro into his chair. He was happy that Zoro was getting to leave the nursing home, at least for a while. "Hope you have fun Zoro! Wish I could go with you."

"What are you talking about?" Kuina asked. "You're coming with us. I'll need help with Zoro, and I'm sure he'd like you to come along anyway."

Luffy was delighted, until he remembered that he had only 700 yen on him. "I can't. I don't have much money."

"Don't worry about it," she said, waving a hand in dismissal. "It'll be my treat. Call it a little compensation. I appreciate what you're doing for Zoro."

Luffy grinned wide. "Sugee!!"

They dressed Zoro in jeans, a pair of dark-colored boots, and a thick red jacket went over his hoodie.

"I've already checked you out so we can go once you're situated," Kuina said as she strapped Zoro into his chair and placed a face mask over his nose and mouth, hooking it behind his ears. 

"What's the latest we have to have him back?" Luffy asked as he pulled the hood back over Zoro's head.

"No later than 8," Kuina said, packing the barbeque bib in her purse.

"I'm not a library book," Zoro grumbled as Luffy began tying the strings on his hoodie. "Don't tie those, makes it harder to move my head."

"The forecast says it's supposed to get even colder soon," Kuina informed him. "I don't want you getting sicker."

"With all the cold meds I've had, I feel great now," Zoro lied. He still felt a little under the weather, but not as bad as he had yesterday and this morning.

"Still, you need to stay warm. You're not feeling as great as you're letting on," Kuina gently said, knowing her brother. "Plus, your face is still slightly flushed."

"Do you think we should be taking him out then?" Luffy asked, concerned. "Since he's still sick."

Zoro shot him a look that clearly said, 'I don't wanna stay here'.

"You may be right..." she said as she walked over to the door, opening it. "But he doesn't get to get out and go anywhere often. So on the days I get off early, or have a whole day off, I try to take him places and do things with him."

Luffy felt it was great that Kuina wanted to stay involved in her little brother's life. There were so many elderly people here who had been just unceremoniously dumped into this home, never to hear from the rest of their family again.

"Anyway," she continued. "Let's get going, shall we?"

\--------------------

"So where would you like to eat, Zoro?" Kuina asked as she pulled her van out of the nursing home parking lot into the street.

"I want sushi," he said as he gazed out of the window at the overcast grey sky. "Or sukiyaki."

"I've never seen a van like this before," Luffy remarked as he turned his head to peer into the back where Zoro sat. The van had two seats in the front where he and Kuins sat, another seat behind those, and a large area in the back where Zoro's powerchair was clamped down immobilized for his safety.

"Yeah, I got it shortly after we'd been told the extent of Zoro's injuries. I knew he wouldn't be able to ride in the car anymore, so I traded that in for this," she explained. "Not exactly the classiest ride, but it gets us to where we want to go." She beamed cheerfully.

"It's classy enough," Zoro spoke up from the back. "I like it."

"Yeah, me too," Luffy said, grinning back. "It's really cool!"

"Thanks," she said, as she turned onto the highway. "Okay Zoro, let me know where you want to go so I know what exit to turn off on."


	5. Tanoshii no Hi (Day Of Fun)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day of fun for Luffy, Zoro, and Kuina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Among other changes, I raised the amount that Zoro's gonna get in his settlement. I felt he deserved more
> 
> Also 40,000,000 yen is roughly equivalent to $400,000, or something like that.

They arrived at Koukakurui Eki restaurant, parking and helping Zoro get his chair down the van ramp. Going in, the hostess seated them at an accessible table where they each ordered their drinks. 

"I shouldn't have to drink sake with a straw..." Zoro muttered as he sipped through the straw from the cup Kuina held up to his lips. It tasted the same but wasn't the same experience.

"I know you want to be able to do things like before, but this is how things are right now," Kuina said sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

Zoro sighed, then he shrugged his shoulders, trying to indicate that he wanted his jacket removed. 

"It _is_ a bit warm in here, isn't it?" Luffy remarked, standing up to remove Zoro's jacket, then his own before taking his seat again.

"Thanks," Zoro uttered gratefully.

"Have you ever been here Luffy?" Kuina asked as she looked up from the menu. "The shrimp scampi with the rice pilaf is really good."

"Yeah, I've been here before, but I usually get Grilled Tilapia with a side of fries," Luffy replied, looking for, and spotting it on the menu he was holding in front of himself and Zoro.

"I'd like the Shrimp and Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo this time," Zoro told her as he scanned the menu.

Satisfied that everyone knew what they wanted, Kuina called the waiter over. When he arrived at the table, Kuina gave him their orders.

"Yes Ma'am, is there anything else you'd like?" The waiter asked.

"Not right now, thank you," Kuina replied, smiling warmly.

Handing each of them an oshibori, the waiter smiled back with a glint in his eye. "If you need anything, my name is Takashi," he said, before walking away from the table to put in their orders. Zoro's eyebrows furrowed as he watch him leave.

"He was nice," Kuina said, beaming, sipping her green tea. "Cute too."

"I dunno if I like him so much..." Zoro commented quietly.

Kuina chuckled brightly. "Looking out for your Big Sis? Don't worry, I can take care of myself. Besides, you're the only man in my life, and you will be for a while."

She opened her oshibori container, cleaned her hands, then opened Zoro's, and began wiping his hands. 

"Why do you have to clean my hands?" He asked. "You're gonna be the one feeding me."

"Because you should have clean hands when you eat, even if you can't feed yourself," she said as she began to clean his face too, for good measure.

"Don't do this here!" Zoro said, in a hushed voice. "It's embarrassing!" 

"It's okay, I'm done now," Kuina said, folding Zoro's oshibori neatly and placing it back into it's container.

Zoro sighed. Even though it was embarrassing, at least the warm cloth left his face feeling refreshed. He glanced over to Luffy who was cleaning his own.

"These oshibori are nice and warm!" The younger man said as he wiped his hands also, then replaced the towelette back into the container it came out of.

Luffy started as a tinkling tune sounded somewhere next to where Kuina sat on the other side of the table. Digging through her bag, she pulled out her smartphone. 

"I'll be right back," she said, beginning to get up. "I gotta take this." She picked up her bag, and walked away from the table.

Luffy watched her retreat until she was just outside the front door, then he casually turned to Zoro, sipping his peach soda. "So is this your favorite place to eat?"

"Yeah, I love this place," Zoro answered, a bright smile on his face. "It would've been even better had Sanji worked here." 

Luffy sat back in the booth seat. "I wish I coulda tasted Sanji's food." 

"I miss it," Zoro said, taking a deep breath; smile fading a bit.

"I know you do."

After a few minutes, Kuina came back, sitting down. "Good news Zoro. That was our lawyer. Looks like the other guy wants to settle this out of court like you wanted, to the tune of about 40,000,000 yen. Took long enough for him to decide."

"That sounds like a lot," Luffy said, using his finger to draw in the condensation on his glass. He looked up. "But Zoro deserves all the money in the world after what he's been through. He almost died thanks to that guy." 

"I know, but Zoro didn't want a long court battle," Kuina sighed. She felt the same way, and even though Zoro would surely have won the trial, she knew he would have hated a lengthy legal process. 

"All the money in the world couldn't bring back what I really want," Zoro said. He closed his good eye. "I don't wanna talk about this." 

"Yeah," Kuina agreed. "Let's just forget about all of that for now, and have a nice lunch." She took the barbeque bib out of her bag and fastened it around a blushing Zoro's neck.

It wasn't long before the food came, the waiter setting a hot, steaming plate of food in front of each of them. "Enjoy, and let me know if you need anything," he said, smiling sweetly at Kuina before he left them to their meals.

Zoro sighed, scowling at the retreating man's back. "He makes me mad."

"It's okay Zoro," Kuina assured him. "He doesn't mean any harm."

"I still don't like him," Zoro said, turning his attention to his food. Kuina was cutting up his noodles into bite-size spoonfuls. 

Luffy noticed that Kuina would feed Zoro a few bites, then would take a bite of her own. Then she'd repeat the process. Once Zoro had had his fill, she then turned her full attention to the rest of her own meal.

"So," Kuina started, speaking to Luffy. "What's the story behind that hat you always wear?"

Luffy grasped the brim of the hat between two fingers and thumb. "It's a friend's! His name's Shanks and he's the best. He went travelling a long time ago, and I promised I'd hold onto his hat until he came back."

Zoro had wondered about the straw hat the younger man constantly wore either on his head or on a string around his neck, but he hadn't wanted to be intrusive. He figured that at some point, if Luffy had wanted him to know, he'd tell him. Still, he was glad Kuina had asked him first.

"So that hat is special to you," Kuina said, plucking the tail off one of her shrimp.

"It's my treasure," Luffy replied grinning, placing a fry in his mouth.

The rest of lunch was filled with pleasant conversation. Then the waiter came over to ask if they wanted anything off the dessert menu.

"Apple pie!" Luffy exclaimed.

Kuina beamed, "That sounds good, we'll all have a slice."

"With two scoops of ice cream!" Luffy added.

"And two scoops of ice cream on his," she said, chuckling at Luffy's youthful enthusiasm. "And can we get a to-go container?"

"Sure thing!" Takashi said, winking at Kuina before going to put their order in. 

Zoro felt it was a good thing he couldn't get out of his powerchair. This guy was really pissing him off! Who did he think he was, flirting with his sister?

"What are you so deep in thought about, Zoro?" Kuina asked.

Zoro flinched, startled out of his thoughts, before replying, "Nothing..."

"Don't worry, Zoro. I'm not interested in him," she assured him, hand on his arm.

It wasn't long before Takashi brought the pies on the plates with their ice cream, along with the bill. 

"You know? I have a little sister who's just as protective of me as your brother is of you," he commented, surprising both Zoro and Kuina.

Kuina recovered first. "How'd you know he's my brother?"

He smiled in a friendly manner. "Just a hunch." He then turned his smile to Zoro. "I have a big sister too, and I'm the same way with her, so I understand where you're coming from. You don't want her to get hurt. Don't worry. I may flirt, but I keep my hands pretty much to myself."

Zoro opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, unable to think of anything.

Kuina whipped out some cash, and gave it and the bill to Takashi, who went to retrieve her receipt. While they waited, Kuina fed Zoro his pie before eating her own. 

When Takashi came back, he had another to-go box in his hand. He placed it in front of Zoro. "No hard feelings?" He asked, addressing Zoro.

Kuina opened it. It was full of steaming takoyaki.

Zoro was speechless, and it took him a few seconds to answer. "...N-No hard feelings... Thanks..."

\--------------------

"That a was great lunch!" Luffy smiled as he rubbed his stuffed belly. "Thank you, Kuina!"

"...I enjoyed it too, thanks..." Zoro piped in, distractedly. Then he once again turned to look out of the window. 

Zoro sighed. He felt like a heel, getting so upset at that waiter for flirting with his sister. Kuina was right. It wasn't as if he was going to do anything. He'd just been having a bit of fun. Actually, it was probably because she was always so busy between working and taking care of his needs, that Kuina never even had a chance to date. She was young and intelligent. Pretty, too. What kind of awful brother was he, to try to hold her back from what might be a happy and fulfilling relationship?

He wanted to escape this life of powerchairs and nursing homes. He wanted out of this life of complete dependency on those around him. He wasn't suicidal, but living like this was beginning to be too much. 

At least, he had Luffy...

"Something's bothering you, isn't it, Zoro," Kuina said quietly, glancing at Zoro through the rearview mirror.

Zoro continued to gaze out of the window. "Not really..." He was silent for a while. And just when Kuina thought he wouldn't say anything more, he spoke in a way he never had before.

"Because of my accident, you're unable to live a normal life. I'm holding you back."

"Zoro, wha-"

"If you do start seeing someone, I should be happy for you instead of trying to keep you for myself. Your life practically revolves around me now. You don't deserve this. You deserve your own life, your own---friends." 

"Zoro," Kuina said quietly to get her brother's attention. When she had it, she continued. "You have no doubt that I love and cherish you, right?"

Zoro shook his head. He had no doubt whatsoever.

"So why do you think you're holding me back?" She asked. "I love you enough that I _want_ to do things for you. I'm happy to take care of you. You're my little brother, and I wouldn't do it if I didn't love you."

"But Takashi-"

"I really wasn't interested in him. But if I do find someone, you won't be able to hold me back from the man I'm interested in," she said with a teasing smirk, causing the corners of Zoro's lips to turn up into a smile of their own. Then her smirk softened. "But no matter whom I date, or marry, you'll always come first in my life. And he'll just have to accept that."

To be honest, Zoro sometimes didn't feel worthy of the love Kuina had for him. Especially as he was now. He sometimes felt so useless, like a ragdoll, but still she cherished him. This gave him a warm feeling inside.

"So... Where would you like to go next, Zoro?"

Zoro thought for a moment. He hadn't been anywhere fun in so long, it was hard for him to decide. "I don't know... The aquarium would be nice, I guess."

Luffy agreed, saying, "Great pick, Zoro!"

"Alright, next stop, All Blue Aquarium!"

\--------------------

After Kuina paid their way in, Zoro and Luffy gazed around themselves in wonder at the tanks and tubes of different kinds of fish, jellyfish, shrimp, and other sealife. 

"So what do you boys want to see first?" Kuina asked.

"I'm not a boy, Luffy is," Zoro said, motioning to the younger man with his head. He was looking up at Kuina with his brow slightly furrowed.

"I'm nineteen!" Luffy exclaimed. "How am I a boy?"

Zoro turned to Luffy, grinning, "You're younger than me. That makes you a boy!"

Luffy reached up and ruffled Zoro's soft, fluffy hair. 

"Stop that!" Zoro cried out, shaking his head.

"Not until you admit I'm not a boy!" 

"Okay! Okay! You're not a boy!" 

Luffy was just about to remove his hand when Zoro said under his breath, just loud enough for Luffy to hear, "If you really wanna be a girl that badly..." Luffy stuck both hands in Zoro's hair, ruffling as Zoro laughed.

"Alright, alright!" Kuina laughed as she brushed Zoro's unruly hair back into place. "So what do you guys want to see?"

"I wanna- Oooh, Zoro! Look at that octopus!" Luffy pointed to a tube above him. "It changes colors!"

Zoro looked to the tube Luffy had indicated. "Wow, I wonder what it's original color is," he said, watching it turn from yellow to a purplish color.

"Actually," a voice to their left said, startling them both. "It's original color is grey." He went on to tell them the type of octopus it was, and where it could be found in the sea.

"It's really beautiful, for such a creature," Kuina said as she gazed at the fluid movements of the animal.

While Kuina was more interested in the fish, Zoro and Luffy seemed interested in the more... unusual sea animals in the tanks and tubes.

"Look, lobsters!" Luffy pointed, then placed his hands on the glass to get a better view. 

"Yeah, it's weird that they aren't red until they're cooked," Zoro marveled. "I wonder why they turn red anyway?"

"I dunno..." Luffy said, still pressed against the glass. Then, after a moment, he suggested, "Hey Zoro, let's go to the tide pool display. It has all these cool animals you can touch!"

"Really?" Zoro's interested eyebrows shot up. "Let's go then!"

Upon reaching the tide pool display, Luffy immediately realized there was going to be a problem. Although the display wasn't very tall, Zoro couldn't stand up to reach into it, and sitting in his chair as he was put the display completely out of Zoro's reach. Luffy thought about taking the animals and placing them into his friend's hands, but a nearby sign read, 'Please do not remove the sealife.' Luffy scratched his head. This was a dilemma he couldn't figure out.

"Hey, it's okay," Zoro assured, trying to hide his disappointment. "I can just see something else."

"But it's not fair," Luffy complained. "You should be able to do the same things as the rest of us."

Zoro shrugged. "Touching a starfish isn't exactly one of my main life goals, Luffy." He then put on a false smile. "Really, it's fine." 

Even though Zoro was smiling, Luffy could feel the green-haired man's disappointment as if it were his own. If Zoro couldn't enjoy the tide pool display, then _he_ wouldn't either. "Kuina's over by the otters. Wanna join her?"

"Yeah," Zoro said. "Couldn't hurt, I guess."

"Zoro! Luffy! Come and look at the otters!" Kuina called to them. Luffy walked with Zoro as the latter manuevered his chair over to the otter exhibit.

Zoro's face lit up as he watched the energetic mammals. They dived and surfaced, some playing and some sleeping. There was one playing with a beach ball, and another going down a plastic slide, all of which brought a joyful smile to the green-haired man's face. 

Luffy noticed after a while, that Zoro was getting tired and looking as if he weren't feeling well again. He'd gotten quieter and more subdued. Kuina must have noticed this too, for she asked quietly, "You ready to go back now, Zoro?"

"Yeah," he surprised them both by saying. "I'm tired."

"I wanted to go to the gift shop before we left," Luffy said as he pulled up Zoro's sweatshirt hood. "But I guess that can wait for another time."

"I wanna go to the gift shop too, actually," Zoro said, surprising them again.

"Well... I guess it couldn't hurt to stay a few more minutes," Kuina conceded as they walked into the store with Zoro wheeling himself behind them.

"They have sea animal plushies!" Luffy said as he trotted over to the display. He looked at the price tag on one of them. "Kinda expensive though."

Zoro looked over the selection of plushies. His eyes settled on one in particular. "This plush lobster makes me think of you."

Luffy looked up from perusing price tags. "How so?"

"Lobsters like to grab things," Zoro smiled. "And so do you."

"No I don't! Oh look, an octopus!" He said as he grabbed the green and pink plushie from its place on the rack.

Zoro just grinned smugly. Luffy realized what he'd done and put it back on the rack. 

"Don't let me stop you," Zoro said as Luffy gazed longingly at the plushie. "It suits you."

Luffy picked it up again. "He _is_ cute. I think I'll name him after you. Octo-Zoro!"

"And his sidekick, um... Lobster Luffy!" Zoro said as Luffy picked up the bright red lobster plushie and placed it into Zoro's lap.

Kuina walked over from where she'd been admiring shell and sand dollar jewelry. In her hand was a necklace that consisted of a tiny bottle of even tinier colored jewel-like beads in water, attached to a short, black leather cord. "You guys ready to checkout?" 

"Yep!" Luffy showed Kuina their finds. "Look! It's Octo-Zoro! And Lobster Luffy, his sidekick!"

"That's nice," she said, actually meaning it and not being condescending or patronizing like other people would have been. "If they are anything like you two, they'll get along great!"

As they moved towards the register, Zoro asked. "What's that in your hand?"

"A little something for you," she said as she paid for their purchases.

When they were outside the gift shop, Kuina stood on one side of Zoro, clasping the necklace around his neck. "You like?"

He looked down. The leather cord was so short, he couldn't really see the tiny bottle of jewels. "I can't see it..." He told her.

"Just a second," Kuina said as she rummaged around in her bag, taking out a small compact mirror. She held it so Zoro could see the bottle. "See?"

Zoro smiled appreciatively, "I like it. What made you buy it?"

"I just thought that it would look nice on you," she said.

"Thanks, Kuina."

\--------------------

"Zoro, Zoro, wake up. We're back now," he heard Kuina's hushed voice saying. He opened his eyes. He was not only back at the home, but he was in his room. 

Luffy took Lobster Luffy out of his bag and set him on Zoro's bed. "You fell asleep on the way here," he said to Zoro.

Kuina unstrapped a yawning Zoro from his chair, beginning to undress him. As she did so, Luffy opened a drawer and got out a pair of fleece pajamas which they both dressed him in.

Once they got Zoro into bed, Kuina went to warm up the takoyaki that Takashi had given them. 

While she was gone, Luffy pulled the blankets up to Zoro's chest, tucking his tired friend in. Though the flush was back in Zoro's face full force, he also sported a look of contentment. "You enjoyed yourself today, didn't you?"

Zoro nodded sleepily. "Today was a great day."

Luffy tucked his lobster namesake in with Zoro, "I hope we can do it again sometime."

Zoro's sleepy eye closed of its own accord, and his head lolled to the side. "Me too."

After a few minutes, Kuina came back in the room with the heated food. "Zoro, wait, don't go to sleep yet. You have to eat."

It took some effort, but Zoro was able to crack open an eyelid that really wanted nothing more than to stay closed.

As Kuina fed Zoro his dinner, Luffy noticed how gentle and patient she always was with him. For someone who wasn't blood-related to her, she sure treated him as if he was. After he was done eating, she offered what was left of the food to Luffy, before lowering the head of Zoro's bed and dimming the light.

"Goodnight, Little Brother," she said as she brushed back his hair and kissed him on his forehead as she usually did. 


	6. Abuse Of Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro is badly abused by a new CNA while he's in the nursing home
> 
> tw: Descriptions of escalating nursing home abuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard to write the first time I wrote it; it was even harder the second time because it's almost a total rewrite. I do not condone deliberate abuse (of any kind), much less abuse of someone who can no longer defend themselves. If abuse makes you squeamish, or squicks you out, feel free to skip this chapter, and pick up where you left off with the next. Anyway, here's chapter 6
> 
> Also, I changed the title of the chapter from the original title

"It's the first week of April," Luffy stated, taking off his jacket and tossing it over a chair. "Where's the warm weather?"

Zoro shrugged from where he sat in his bed, "I like this. At least I don't have to sit around sweating." He smiled.

Luffy chuckled, sitting next to Zoro's bed. "Yeah, that's the part of the heat I don't like."

"We should go outside for a while," Zoro said as he turned to gaze out of the window. "Wanna help me get dressed?"

"Have you even had breakfast yet?" Luffy asked.

"...No... I don't need any though," Zoro commented, turning back to Luffy. 

"Kuina wouldn't wanna hear you talk like that," Luffy gently scolded his friend. "What would she think if I wasn't taking care of you properly?"

"She doesn't have to know." Zoro laid his hand on the bed railing. "Lemme out."

"Not until you've had your breakfast," Luffy said folding his arms, grinning.

"What if I'm not hungry?" Zoro countered.

"Then I'm not letting you out of bed," Luffy said stubbornly, not budging from his stance. He hated to be so firm with his friend, force him to do something he didn't want to do, but he really didn't want to disappoint Kuina either.

Zoro sighed. He could see Luffy wasn't going to give in. 

"Come on, Zoro, please? Do it for me?" He made puppy dog eyes at Zoro.

Zoro sighed again. He knew that Luffy knew that he couldn't resist the puppy dog eyes. "Okay... I guess I can eat a little."

"Yay!" Luffy said, grabbing the food tray before saying over his shoulder, "I'll be right back!"

Luffy made his way to the kitchen, going to the refrigerator. He found Zoro's breakfast and lunch in the same place Kuina had always put it. He removed the plastic wrapping from the miso soup and rice with a natto topping and placed both bowls in the microwave.

After about two minutes, he removed the food from the microwave, transferring it to the tray, carrying it back to Zoro's room.

"Don't think your puppy dog eyes are always gonna work on me," Zoro said smirking, upon seeing Luffy enter the room with the tray full of food.

"Oh, they will!" Luffy laughed, as he put the tray down on the bedtable, and sat next to Zoro's bed in a chair. "They always have so far! Soooo, what do you think of that new girl?"

"The dark-haired one with the hoop earrings?" Zoro asked, thinking about her. She had started working here two days ago. "I'm not sure how to feel about her. But something is definitely... I dunno... off." He rubbed his chin in thought. "It's like... she _seems_ nice, but it's only a facade."

"Yeah!" Luffy said as he placed the full spoon into Zoro's mouth. He'd only known Zoro for a little over a month, but he knew how perceptive Zoro was, and he knew to trust the green-haired man's instincts. "That's what I was thinking too, I just couldn't find the right words. Hopefully she won't make trouble for you."

"I doubt she will," Zoro said as he opened his mouth for another bite.

\--------------------

Over the next few days, things seemed fairly normal except, Zoro was getting the uneasy feeling that he was being watched. The feeling he was being leered at by a certain CNA. He wanted to tell Luffy how he felt, but every time he looked up at the CNA, she was doing something else. Eyes not on him. Eyes on whatever it was she was doing.

Maybe he was being paranoid.

Earlier this morning, out on his usual wanderings of the hall, he felt it again. The feeling of eyes so firmly on him that a frosty chill went up his spine. He whirled his head around, but this time she wasn't even there. 

Yeah, it had to be paranoia. But then, he'd never been paranoid before now...

Closing his eye, and taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he was about to continue his hall wandering, when a hand lightly touched his shoulder. Gasping, he whirled his head around again, only to find a confused looking Luffy in his familiar red scrubs.

"Zoro?... What's wrong?"

Zoro took a deep, relieved breath, swallowing hard before speaking. "Nothing..."

"Doesn't sound like 'nothing's' wrong..." Said Luffy; a concerned note in his voice.

Zoro didn't miss the concern. "It's just... paranoia. I'll be fine."

"Paranoia? About what?" Luffy asked, confusion once again making it's way onto his face.

Zoro just shrugged, looking away. After a moment, he repeated, "I'll be fine," before continuing on his way.

In confusion, Luffy watched Zoro go about his business, before turning back to do what he'd been doing before he'd interrupted his friend. He had a feeling Zoro was hiding something from him, but he didn't want to pry. Besides, if Zoro wanted him to know what was wrong, he'd tell him. Until then, he could wait.

\--------------------

"What's bothering you?" Luffy asked two days later after he noticed Zoro looking more harried than usual. Then he thought a second. "Is it that new CNA?"

Before Zoro said anything, the look on his face told Luffy everything he needed to know. "Yeah..." Zoro finally admitted. "She's... kinda creeping me out."

Luffy tamped down his anger at the CNA, instead, wanting to hear what Zoro had to say. "How so?"

"I feel her... leering at me, but when I look up, she's minding her own business. Like... she wasn't staring at all. But I could feel her doing it," Zoro replied, then he took a deep breath before continuing. "Do you think I'm being paranoid?"

Luffy didn't doubt Zoro for a second. If Zoro felt like this CNA was leering at him, she must've been doing just that. "No, I don't. What do you think we should do about it? You want me to talk to her?"

Zoro shook his head. "No. I don't. And before you ask, I don't wanna bother Kuina about it either."

Luffy inwardly sighed. "Alright. I understand. But if you ever need me, I won't be far." 

This time, Zoro's face relaxed, and he gave Luffy a small smile. "Thanks."

\--------------------

A knock on his door. "Knock, knock~!" A woman's voice sang.

Zoro tamped down the small ball of fear growing in his belly. "Can I help you?" He asked tersely, as the dark-haired woman with the hoop earrings stood in his doorway, smiling innocently.

She walked up to him, extending a hand. "Hi, we haven't been introduced. I'm new here, and my name is Morimoto Aya, and you?"

Zoro stared at the extended hand with a disinterested look for a second, then looked back up at her, ignoring it. "Roronoa, and it's been five days."

She didn't miss the way he'd ignored her hand. She placed it back onto what she was holding. "Yes, my workload has been heavy lately."

"Okay, so, what do you want?" He asked coldly, narrowing his eye a bit.

She smiled prettily, holding out a familiar covered plate. "I'm on feeding duty today."

Zoro's eye visibly widened, before he regained his composure. "Luffy usually takes care of that when my sister can't get here." 

"Oh, he's on restroom duty right now." She thought for a second. "You sound like you don't want me here," she then stated.

"I don't," Zoro said frankly. She made him highly uncomfortable. "Just go get Luffy."

She smiled again. "I will. After you've had your lunch." 

Zoro sighed heavily. "Fine. But after that, leave." The way he said it left no room for argument.

Angrily, Zoro watched her situate everything on his rolling table, then sit in front of him. As she uncovered the steaming plate of shrimp fried rice with a side of chicken gyoza, she commented, "Looks really good! Your sister make this?"

"Yeah." Was his only reply. He really wanted this to be over with so she could leave.

"Okay then." She scooped up a spoonful of the food, holding it up to his mouth. "Open wide!"

He really didn't want to submit to her feeding him, but... he was hungry, and he was completely unable to feed himself. Begrudgingly, he opened his mouth, she placing the spoon in. 

"So... You like it here?" She asked as she fed him another spponful. The scowl on his face gave her the answer to her question. She chuckled. "I take that as a 'no'." She scooped up another spoonful, dropping a few grains of rice as she stuck the spoon into Zoro's open mouth. "Oops, let me get that." 

As she picked off the last of the grains, her fingers lingered on Zoro's chest just long enough to raise his alarm. He swallowed hard as he looked back up at her, good eye narrowed. "You can remove your hand now."

"Oh! Yes," she said as if she only just realized what she was doing. She grabbed the spoon again. 

There were no more instances of inappropiate touching during his meal, but Zoro was so on edge from the first time, that he'd lost his appetite and was barely able to stomach the rest. 

She'd begun gathering the dishes and cutlery, preparing to take them out of the room, when Luffy came in; eyes widening upon spotting her. 

"Zo... ro?" Luffy said, seeing how harried and anxious Zoro seemed. His eyes flicked back to the CNA who'd finished gathering Zoro's dishes. He got straight to the point. "Zoro's not his normal self. What happened here?" His calmness masking his growing anger.

"He'll be okay. He's probably just tired," She said, smiling sweetly before quickly moving past Luffy into the hall.

Luffy watched her go, waiting until she was out of earshot to speak to Zoro. "She did something to you, I can tell. What'd she do?"

Zoro seemed to think for a moment, as if debating whether or not to tell Luffy. 

"Did she touch you?" Luffy asked, receiving a small flinch in response. "Oh god, where??"

At that point, Zoro explained everything that happened in detail to Luffy. 

"I'm really sorry I wasn't there to help... Want me to go with you to tell Administrator Hina? If that CNA's bothering you, she needs to know."

"I know... " Zoro sighed. "Maybe I _should_ say _something_..."

"Yeah," Luffy agreed. "The last thing we need is a CNA who messes with patients."

Zoro closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. "I dunno... It's probably not that big a deal... It was probably an accident... I dunno..."

Luffy had never seen Zoro so unsure of something. "You may be right, but..." It was Luffy's turn to sigh. "If she touches you again, then it's definitely not an accident. Just let me know if it happens again, okay?"

Zoro was quiet for a few seconds, then nodded once. "Okay."

"Um... Should we at least tell Kuina?"

"No."

\--------------------

The next few days had been uneventful, and Zoro had finally begun to let down his guard, when...

"Knock, knock~!"

Zoro inwardly cringed upon hearing the familiar sing-song voice. "I suppose you're on feeding duty again today."

"That's right," She confirmed, setting the food tray down on Zoro's rolling table. "I know you don't like me much, but let's try to get along for today, okay?"

Zoro didn't know what she was trying to pull, so he just answered with a simple, cold, choppy, "Yeah."

"Alright, then!" She clapped her hands together before opening the dish. The steaming chicken tikka masala with its accompanying basmati rice smelled so heavenly, Morimoto wished she had a bowl of it. She sat in the chair across from Zoro, pulling it up to him. Scooping up the first bite, she offered it to him. "Open wide!"

He sighed. He didn't like being spoken to in that way. Like he was a child being fed. He sighed. "Can we just get this over with?"

"Alright."

The meal was going well so far, considering that Zoro's tension was at an all time high. That was until...

"You have sauce on your face," She said, plucking out a wipe to remove it. She slowly carressed his face with the wipe, leaning in close...

Zoro's eye widened as she moved in, then narrowed dangerously. " _REALLY?!_ "

She quickly moved back. "Oh! Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Like _hell_ you are! Get out!" He wasn't done with his meal, but he didn't care if he starved, he wasn't going through this again.

"I need to finish feeding you," she said innocently.

Zoro wasn't falling for her fake innocence act. "I don't care! Get _out_!"

"No." She stood her ground. "I'm staying until you finish your lunch." 

He moved to leave, but she quickly shut the door so he couldn't. He was essentially trapped in his room... With her. There was little he could do but comply with what she wanted. "Alright. I'll eat. But if you touch me again..." He narrowed his eye.

Again with the innocence. "I was just wiping your face."

"Just keep your hands to yourself," He demanded, leaving no room for argument. He certainly hoped she would do as she was told. There wasn't any way for him to stop her if she didn't.

Fortunately, he was able to eat the rest of his lunch without incident, and she shortly left from his room. 

\--------------------

When Luffy next saw Zoro, Zoro appeared tired, as if he'd worked hard all day that day.

"Zoro, what's wrong?..."

Zoro sighed. "One word: Morimoto."

Luffy's face was immediately one of angry concern. "Oh man... What'd she do _this_ time?"

"Oh, she just caressed my face while she pretended to wipe it! Not to mention, she was leaning way too close to me as she did it!" Zoro squeezed his eye shut, wanting badly to ball his hands into fists. "Oh god, I _SWEAR_ if she touches me again..."

"Damn," Luffy swore. "Okay, I _really_ think we should say something. If not to Administrator Hina, then we should speak directly to Morimoto."

"Yeah... You're probably right... But, I'll talk to Administrator Hina. I don't even wanna _see_ Morimoto."

"Fair enough."

\--------------------

As Zoro got closer to Administrator Hina's office, he'd begun to have reservations about talking to her at all. After a moment, he fell behind, stopping a couple yards away from the door to her office.

Luffy turned around to see Zoro unmoving behind him. "What's wrong, Zoro?"

"I dunno... I just..." He trailed off, furrowing his brow, averting his eye.

Luffy walked back over to Zoro. "C'mon... We have to say _something_. Otherwise, Morimoto'll keep bothering you." Luffy squeezed Zoro's shoulder to reassure his friend. Zoro looked hesitantly up at him. Luffy continued, "C'mon, I'll be there for you."

Zoro took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Then, swallowing hard, he went with Luffy into the administrator's office.

\--------------------

"That new CNA who was hired the other week? Morimoto? She keeps bothering Zoro! Like... Like, touching him, and stuff."

Administrator Hina listened to Luffy calmly, as he angrily told her about what had happened to Zoro. "Do you mean, inappropriately?" She noted that Zoro looked as if he'd rather be anywhere but here right now.

"Yeah!" Luffy then proceeded to tell Administrator Hina the same things Zoro had told him. "...And that was when we'd decided to bring the matter to you."

Administrator Hina was silent for a moment, deep in thought. Then after a long moment, she turned to her youngest resident. "Zoro-san, how has Morimoto been touching you?"

Zoro hesitated, unable to look her in the eye. "...She... There were... rice grains... on my shirt... And... as she was picking them off, her hand stayed there too long..."

Luffy noticed Zoro's voice growing softer and softer as he spoke. Luffy prodded Zoro. "Tell her about what else she did to you."

"She..." Zoro hesitated. He'd had no problems telling Luffy, so why couldn't he tell the one person who could actually do something about Morimoto? His face flushed with shame. But why? He wasn't the one in the wrong here! "She... touched my... face... while pretending to wipe it... And she..." Oh, why was this so hard? "She was... leaning in too close... while she did it..."

"Have either of you talked to Kuina-san?" Hina asked. 

"Can't talk to Kuina about this..." Zoro's eyes were firmly on his hands that lay in his lap. "Just can't do it..."

"Hmm. Okay. I'm going to call Morimoto to the office," Hina stated seriously. "Hear what she has to say."

Zoro quickly shook his head. Luffy, seeing this, blurted out, "You can't! She makes Zoro super uncomfortable!"

"It's okay," She said to Luffy. To Zoro, she said, "Morimoto won't bother you here."

Zoro's anxiety grew with every passing minute after Morimoto had been called. As she entered, Zoro moved his chair, giving her wide berth.

Morimoto Aya's eyes followed Zoro and Luffy, who'd moved over with Zoro, before she turned her attention to Administrator Hina. "Yes, Administrator Hina?"

"According to Roronoa-san, apparently you've been touching him... inappropriately." Hina hestitated on the last word, hiding her own disgust. Her residents were like family to her, and she hated the thought that one of them may be being mistreated. To Morimoto herself, she relayed what Zoro and Luffy had told her. "Care to fill me in on your side of the story?"

Inwardly, Morimoto was livid. How dare Zoro tell Administrator Hina about what she'd done? But she couldn't let that show now. She had to try to convince her employer that she'd meant no harm when doing what she did. "I really care about Roronoa-san. If I did something to upset him, I didn't mean to." 

"Like hell! You touched my face earlier and got too close to me! Don't tell me that was an accident!" Zoro accused.

The innocent look again. "I wanted to make sure I got all the sauce."

Was that really all it was? Zoro began to doubt himself. "That...That's bullshit."

She briefly gave him an 'Is it?' look before saying, "I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do..."

"As long as you keep your distance, I'll be fine." Zoro said frankly. Though he didn't think for a moment that she would comply. He repressed a shudder.

Administrator Hina saw just how uncomfortable Zoro was around Morimoto Aya, so she said, "Okay. Morimoto, if Roronoa-san is uncomfortable in your presence, perhaps it'll be in the best interest of all involved if you two do keep your distances from one another for a bit. Just for a week or so, then we'll see how things go after that."

Zoro would rather have had a more permanent arrangement, but he supposed that this would have to do for now. He sighed heavily as Morimoto spoke.

"Yes, Administrator Hina."

"Thank you. You're dismissed for now. Luffy? Zoro? Stay here. I need to speak with you further."

\--------------------

As Morimoto stood in the restroom mirror, her anger finally bubbled to the surface. "Aargh!!" Who did Zoro think he was, trying to rat her out like that? She'd just been having a bit of fun! And anyway, a guy like him had no business being that attractive if he didn't want attention from a woman such as herself! And why didn't he want her attention?! She was a pretty, 28 year old woman, with long, dark hair, a nice, slim body, and ample breasts. What was there to not be attracted to?

'Pull yourself together Aya,' She thought as she leaned in to peer into her reflection. It wouldn't do to lose control now. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. There. She began to feel a little better. As she began to reapply lipstick, she wondered what else made Zoro so attractive to her as a target. Then she realized that it was because there was little he could do to stop her if she made advances toward him. He was pretty much defenseless and vulnerable. Whatever happened, _she_ was the one in control. The thought made her smile wickedly.

Just then, another CNA walked in, startling Morimoto so badly, she nearly dropped her lipstick.

"Oh! Sorry about that! I didn't know anyone was in here!" The other CNA, whose name Morimoto remembered as Ishikawa Keiko, exclaimed. 

Morimoto wondered why there was any embarrassment on her part, as there were two separate stalls in the restroom. "It's alright. I was just about to leave anyway." She put away her lipstick in her pocket.

"Excuse me, I just wanted to wash my hands." Ishikawa said. Morimoto moved aside. "Anyway, I know you're still sort of new here, but how do you feel about Roronoa-san? At first, he seems like he'd be a grump, but then once you get to know him, he can be so nice and sweet! Everyone here loves him and his sister. You should meet her too at some point, if you haven't already!"

"Oh, I've met him," Morimoto told her honestly. "He doesn't seem to like me much for some reason though..."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll come around soon. He _is_ a bit on the shy side. Don't tell him I said that though," Ishikawa said smiling, drying her hands on a couple of paper towels. "Anyway, I have to get back to work, ja!"

"Ja." Morimoto waited until the cheerful woman was gone before peering back into the mirror again. As of now, she wasn't allowed to be around Zoro, because she made him "uncomfortable". 

Well. He'd soon see just how uncomfortable he was going to get.

\--------------------

Once Morimoto had gone, Administrator Hina turned to Zoro and Luffy. She could see how upset they still were, so to Zoro she said, "Zoro-san. If there's anything, anything at all you ever need to tell me, I'm here for you. You don't have to be afraid to say anything. If she bothers you ever again, you---" She looked at Luffy--- "Or Luffy, come straight to me without hesitation. Alright?"

"Okay," Luffy said as Zoro slowly nodded a small nod.

"Thank you two for bringing this to my attention today."

Luffy gave Administrator Hina a respectable bow, then he and Zoro left the room.

\--------------------

Zoro was only really beginning to relax when it seemed that the week's reprieve was already nearly over. At least Morimoto didn't work on weekends, so he still had another half day before she would return and wreak havoc on his life again. Why couldn't she just leave him alone? Luffy didn't work on weekends either, but came to visit anyway and spend some time with Zoro.

Today though, Zoro was spending some quality time with Kuina.

"I never did get a chance to ask you yet but, I hear this place got a new CNA a couple weeks ago. How is she? Does she treat you well?"

The smile that had been on Zoro's face promptly vanished to be replaced by a look of apprehension at the mention of 'the new CNA'. "... Um..."

"Zoro?"

"She's okay!" He blurted out nervously, not wanting his sister to worry. He was lying through his teeth, but Kuina need not know what had happened the other week. "She... uh, likes me..." That part at least was the truth, even though it wasn't in any way he wanted.

Kuina didn't fail to notice the change in her little brother's demeanor, but for now, she kept quiet about it. "That's good... I guess..." She glanced oddly at Zoro for a second, then back down at what she'd been doing before she'd asked. Zoro was definitely hiding something from her, but she wasn't going to pry, for now.

Zoro breathed a small sigh of relief. Hopefully, she wouldn't catch on. He really didn't want to burden his sister with what he saw as his problem to deal with.

"Oh, hey, I brought you something!" Kuina rummaged around in a large shopping bag until she found what she was looking for. "Look!" She held up a limited edition copy of the Samurai Chronicles television series. 

Zoro's good eye grew as big around as a saucer. "Where'd you find _that_?! It's like... the _SUPER_ limited edition director's cut with commentary! I've been wanting this forever! Where'd you get it?!"

Kuina relished the happy grin on her little brother's face. "I had the store hold a copy of it for me. It's the last one though, so be sure to take good care of it!"

"Oh, I will!"

"There's something else too." She dug around in her bag some more, and pulled out a cute triangular shaped onigiri plushie with large dot eyes and a tiny smiling mouth.

Zoro's face lit up like a kid at Christmas.

As Kuina handed the plush and the DVDs to Zoro, she said, "I saw that while I was there, and it reminded me of you!"

"Thank you soooo much, Kuina!" Zoro told her, receiving them gratefully. He loved plushies, this one especially, as it was shaped like one of his favorite foods.

"Soo..." Kuina began. "Wanna watch?"

" _Do I_!!"

\--------------------

The next day, a quiet knock on his door, then Kuina entered.

"Hi Little Brother! Hi Luffy!" She greeted, putting down Zoro's lunch tray and going in for a hug.

Luffy grinned. "Hi Kuina!"

"Hey Kuina," Zoro replied back. It was hard some days to lift his arms very high, so he settled for letting himself be hugged by his big sister.

She moved around behind him to fasten the barbeque bib around his neck. "How's your day been going?"

"Okay, so far," Zoro answered, as she sat in a chair in front of him with the rolling table between them. So far, he'd only seen Morimoto once today, and they had not communicated at all, so all in all, things were going well so far. "Luffy's gonna take me outside later."

"That's great." She removed the cover from the food. "They need to let you outside more often."

"I know, right?" Zoro opened his mouth to receive his food. After chewing and swallowing, he continued. "I love it, even though it's just an enclosed courtyard. Can't really go anywhere."

Kuina smiled warmly. "Next time I'm off, I'll take you and Luffy someplace nice, okay?" 

"Okay!" Zoro smiled.

Luffy threw his hands in the air. "Yay!"

\--------------------

Once Zoro had been fed, three CNAs filed in to put him down for his nap. Once he was in bed, Kuina told him, "I have to get back to work, Zoro. I'll see you later this evening. I love you!" She kissed his forehead. 

He smiled. "Love you too, Kuina!"

She turned on the radio near his bed. "Have a nice nap!"

When Kuina left, Luffy told him, "Unfortunately, I need to go on my break. You gonna be okay while I'm gone?"

"I should be," Zoro said, trying to pull his blanket up to his neck. "Go ahead. I'll be fine."

Luffy reached over, pulling up Zoro's blanket. "Alright then, have a good nap!"

"I will." He closed his eye as Luffy took his leave.

He was lying quietly in his bed, nearly asleep, when the opening notes of Hotel California played from the radio. Luffy was long gone by now, so he had no choice but to try to tune it out as he waited for it to end. Why did it always seem to play when he couldn't reach the radio?

His brows furrowed, he tried his best to ignore the offending song. 

As he heard the familiar sound of his door opening, he peeled open his good eye. Who he saw standing in the doorway sent a chill of fear down his spine. Still though, he tried not to show it.

Quietly entering, and shutting the door quickly, Moromoto leaned against the door, hand still on the doorknob. A wide grin graced pretty features that appeared to belie her true intentions. 

Zoro's heartbeat quickened as he narrowed his eye. He brusquely asked, "What do you want?"

"Can't I check up on my favorite resident?" She asked sweetly, closing the distance between them. 

The fear that had been forming in his belly grew as she stepped ever closer. "Favorite" resident? He swallowed hard. "You're not here to check up on me. Go away."

"I'm not gonna go away just because you want me to," She said sweetly as she reached over his bed railings, caressing his cheek. She grinned again. "Your skin is soft and smooth. Not like most guys'."

Zoro moved to bat her hand away, but she caught his wrist. Unable to make her release her grip, he ground out, "Let go!"

"What can you do if I don't?" She challenged. She didn't let go, but tightened her grip painfully. As she squeezed tighter, the grin faded until it left her face entirely.

"Let go!" He repeated, trying to free his aching wrist. "Go away! Leave me alone!" He began to shout. He tried not to show it, but the fear in his stomach was growing ever bigger.

Morimoto shook her head, pulling Zoro's arm painfully behind his back, using her other hand to grab his jaw and wrench his head upward to meet her eyes. Squeezing his jaw hard enough to leave nail prints, she spoke in a low, menacing voice. "Listen to me, you little shit. The next time you rat me out, to Luffy, Administrator Hina, or even your sister, I'll make sure you don't have _any_ eyes to see with." Finally seeing the fear in his demeanor, she let the threat hang in the air a moment, before she then let go of both his face and his wrist.

Zoro hadn't even had time to try to rub the feeling back into his wrist when Morimoto slid her hand down Zoro's pajama pants, cupping his buttocks. She squeezed tightly, delighting in his gasp of shock. The grin returned to her face.

As painful as the injury to his wrist was, he did everything in his power to stop the assault to his body. Despite the paralysis, he could still feel sensations. He could feel her violating his body, but he couldn't do much, if anything to stop it.

Her hands moved around to the front of his body, touching and playing with his genitalia, his hands unable to stop what she was doing. He wished more than ever that Luffy would walk through his door, see what was happening, and help him. Unfortunately, Luffy had at least a good hour for lunch. By the time he came back, the damage would've already been done. 

Zoro scowled in frustration. It seemed like forever that Morimoto continually violated and molested his body, his useless hands trying to keep her at bay as much as they could. Almost completely helpless, he wondered how long he would have to endure his unwanted visitor.

Eventually, the assault came to an end, and she spoke cheerfully again as she put Zoro's clothes back to the way they'd been before she'd come in. "I should go now. Have a nice nap, Zoro! And remember, this'll be our little secret!" She put a finger to her lips. "Shh! Okay?" She then left the room as quietly as she'd entered.

No! It was _not_ okay! How the hell was he going to get to sleep now? He'd just been horribly violated, and on top of that she'd injured him. He held his right wrist up to his eye. It was already turning a dark purple-ish color, indicating bruising. It had also begun to swell. He was pretty sure his face looked the same. How was he going to hide this from Kuina? Or even Luffy? 

Zoro pulled his arm back under the blamket, and hid the lower half of his face, just as Luffy quietly entered, pushing his straw hat off his head. 

Looking up to see Zoro still awake, Luffy grinned, exclaiming, "Zoro~! I didn't know you were awake!" He walked over to his friend's bed. "Wanna get up?"

Zoro shook his head on his pillow. "I'm..." He said hoarsely. He cleared his throat. "I'm alright," He said more clearly, trying to sound as normal as possible, though it came out a lot quieter than he would've liked.

This set off Luffy's alarm bells, and his grin faded. "You sure you're- _OH MY GOD_!" Luffy shouted as he pulled back the blanket, and saw Zoro's injuries for the first time. "What happened to you?!"

Zoro had to lie. He couldn't tell Luffy. He _needed_ his remaining eye... And if he said anything, his wrist... She might just break it next time. "I... just slept wrong..."

A hard scowl painted Luffy's whole face. His anger toward Morimoto became part of his demeanor. "Like hell! That's not sleeping wrong! I _know_ sleeping wrong! _She_ did this to you, didn't she?"

Zoro couldn't look at Luffy.

" _DIDN'T SHE_?!"

Zoro couldn't say anything else.

Luffy's anger died down some as he watched Zoro clam up. Zoro appeared to be frightened by his outburst. He didn't want Zoro to begin withdrawing again, so he took a different approach. He took deep breaths to calm his outrage, then he asked, "Did she threaten you in some kinda way? Did she not want you to tell me what happened?"

"..."

Luffy swore. How could he do anything to help Zoro, if Zoro refused to talk about it? "Look, I'mma go get you an ice pack for your wrist, okay? I won't be far. I'll be right back."

\--------------------

As Luffy applied the ice pack, the pain in Zoro's wrist began to subside a bit. It had swelled to nearly twice its normal size now though, and he knew he needed to figure out a way to hide it before Kuina came around this evening. How would he hide Zoro's face though?

"If you don't want Kuina to see all those bruises, you should probably wear a long-sleeved hoodie while she's here," Luffy tried to helpfully suggest.

Zoro shook his head. "...She's gonna see..."

Luffy went to Zoro's closet to look for one of his oversized hoodies. "No she won't. Not if we lace the hood up real tight."

Anguish painted Zoro's young features. "...She's gonna see anyway..." 

Luffy stopped what he was doing, and turned to Zoro. "If you don't mind me asking, why don't you wanna tell Kuina?"

Zoro debated telling him how Morimoto had threatened him, then he figured that maybe this was worth losing his remaining eye over. He told Luffy everything. Told him about not only the threat, but also the sexual abuse as well. Morimoto had to be stopped at all cost. If he had to be blind for the rest of his life for that to happen, then so be it. 

"Yeah, we definitely do need to tell Kuina about this. Morimoto needs to know that she can't just do things like this and get away with it." He whipped out his phone, ready to call, when he realized he didn't have Kuina's number. "Um, Zoro? You have Kuina's number?"

"Yeah..." He told Luffy what it was.

Luffy began dialing it in quickly with his thumbs, then he hit the call icon. After it rang a few times, he left a voicemail, hung up, then left a text in case she didn't get the voicemail. It wasn't long before he got a call back from her. "Hi Kuina? It's Luffy. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

\--------------------

"Oh, Zoro! Why didn't you tell me?" Kuina exclaimed, peering at Zoro's bruised wrist, and slowly and as gently as possible, turning it over in her hands. She peered at the bruised areas around Zoro's jawline. She repeated, "Why didn't you tell me? I could've done something about it before it got this bad!"

"I thought it was something I could deal with on my own... I didn't wanna burden you with my problems..." Zoro said sadly. "... And I didn't want you to have to worry..."

"But things are far worse now because I didn't know, and couldn't fix things." Kuina turned to Luffy. "How long's this been going on?"

"Since a few days after Morimoto was hired. At first, it was just smaller things like touching his chest and cheek and stuff. When we brought it up to Administrator Hina, she acted all innocent and pretended to be sorry." Luffy sighed. "She seems to plan what she's gonna do around the times I'm not here to see her."

While nursing home abuse wasn't unheard of, Kuina had actually picked this place because of the rigorous background checks they did before hiring new CNAs. "Damn..." Kuina ran her hand through her short hair. "Okay. Apparently, we're going to have to catch her in the act. If we can do that, something can be done about her. Zoro?" She turned to her brother, who looked up sadly at her. "If it's possible, do you mind if I have a hidden camera installed? We can catch her quickly that way and have ironclad proof of the things she's been doing."

Zoro didn't really want the things done to him filmed, but Morimoto needed to be stopped at all costs. He slowly nodded his approval. 

"Alright. I'm going to talk to Administrator Hina about having you---" she looked to Luffy--- "take your lunch breaks in here with Zoro.. If you even see her near Zoro again, you call me right away, got it?"

Luffy nodded. "Got it."

\--------------------

The next day or so was pretty uneventful. For the most part, Luffy stayed by Zoro's side, never leaving long enough for anyone to bother him. 

"It's finally starting to warm up now," Luffy commented offhandedly as he and Zoro sat watching a DVD of a movie they'd both seen many times. "But the cold doesn't bother you anyway, does it?"

"Not at all," Zoro replied. He took a breath, letting it out slowly. He was bored. "Wish there was something else for us to do. Stupid nursing home."

"Sometimes the CNAs play board games with the old people in the cafeteria," Luffy suggested.

"That's not really my thing," Zoro explained. "They don't have anything interesting for people my age. I'd only be more bored."

"You do have a point," Luffy agreed. He sat up from where he was leaning back in his chair and paused the DVD. "I gotta take a leak. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Zoro said, trying to hide his apprehension enough to sound casual.

Luffy knew Zoro was nervous. Ever since _The Incident_ , as he and Kuina had started calling it, Zoro had gotten that way ever time Luffy had to leave the room. He put a comforting hand on Zoro's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. I will be back. It'll be like, two minutes. Okay?"

Zoro nodded, taking another deep breath. He didn't like being alone anymore. Even if it was only two minutes.

\--------------------

Luffy flushed the toilet, going over to the sink to wash his hands. As he lathered up, he tried not to think about what had happened to Zoro that day. Too much thought about it, made him irrationally angry, and right now, he needed his wits about him.

He went over to the paper towel dispenser, yanking two out. He concentrated on drying his hands and getting back to Zoro. 

Due to a case of stomach virus going around, the nursing home was short-staffed. 'And it couldn't have happened at a worse time,' Luffy thought. Unfortunately, Morimoto was still here, and she needed to be watched. 

He opened the door, walking out of the bathroom. He was about to turn back toward Zoro's room, when another CNA hailed him down. 

"Oh, thank goodness!" She said as she approached Luffy. "The kitchen staff need some help stacking cans of food on the shelves. They need someone strong and it shouldn't take too long."

Luffy swore inwardly. He needed to get back to Zoro's room. But then, she had said that it shouldn't take too long. He debated going back and telling Zoro that he'd be gone longer than he'd initially thought. But then, if it was as she'd said, he wouldn't be gone long anyway. He sighed, "Alright."

Morimoto Aya watched, hidden, as Luffy walked with a CNA away from Zoro's room. She grinned. Now was a perfect chance to revisit her favorite resident. She turned, walking towards the green-haired man's room.

\--------------------

Zoro rolled his head on his chair's headrest. It seemed like Luffy had been gone for more than two minutes. His apprehension increased with every minute that passed without Luffy showing up. His door was closed too, so he couldn't really leave the room right now to look for him. 

It was quiet in the room, and every tiny little noise made him nearly jump out of his skin. He turned his head sharply to the window by his bed as he heard a * _tinktink_ * sound, but it was only a bird that had landed on his windowsill, pecking at the metal frame. He closed his eye, sighing in relief.

"Miss me, Zoro?" Said a syrupy sweet voice that made chills run down his spine. He gasped as his eye shot open, head whirling toward the door, taking in the very familiar and unwanted presence of none other than Morimoto Aya. He hadn't even heard her come in!

He swore inwardly as his hands scrabbled uselessly at the harness and waistbelt holding his paralysed body in the chair, trying and failing to free himself. 

"I take it you did," she said, shutting the door and gliding over to him. 

"Shit!" he hissed. He tried to pry himself from the seat of the powerchair, but the straps keeping him there remained stubborn. 

"Awww," she cooed sweetly. "Don't worry, I'm coming, Zoro."

"No! Go away!" He wanted to tell her to stop calling him Zoro, but now wasn't the time. Not with his body about to be horribly violated again. "Please!" He begged. He hated hearing himself sound so weak and pathetic, but he had no choice.

She stepped in front of him then, grabbing and squeezing his injured wrist. Zoro squeezed his eye shut, loudly hissing in pain. "Did you rat me out again?" She squeezed harder, then twisted his whole arm around until she felt the pop of dislocation come from his shoulder area. He screamed. She asked again. " _Did you_?"

"No! No, I didn't! _I didn't_!" He shouted, then bit his lip against the pain.

She held it there a moment, then calmly said, "Good to know. Okay, now don't... scream." She then quickly popped the ball joint back into the shoulder socket.

Not knowing what she'd do if he did scream, Zoro muffed the sound, biting into his lip so hard, it drew blood. Anything to keep from screaming out loud.

"Good boy."

She took his arms, beginning to strap them down to the armrests of the chair. As she did so, he began to struggle as hard as he could. She rolled her eyes at him, saying, "This would be a _loooot_ easier for _both_ of us if you'd just relax and _calm_. _down_."

"No! Shit! LUFFY!" He began to shout as she removed the powerchair waistbelt, slowly undid his jeans, again exposing him.

She narrowed her eyes, backhanding him hard. "Shut. _Up_! I warned you not to _scream_!" She said in a low voice. "Anyway... Luffy can't help you right now. He's in the kitchen helping _them_ with things. He has no time for..." She looked him up and down in disdain. "Someone like you." She said condescendingly, as she grabbed his penis, stoking it firmly. "Why would he care enough to have time for you right now? Me though? I like you. Luffy doesn't like you, like you, but I do." Morimoto smiled seductively.

Zoro had wondered where Luffy was, but it couldn't be for the reasons she'd stated. Could it? No. Luffy would never betray him. If he was in the kitchen, it must have been because someone had asked him to go there. The nursing home was short staffed this week, after all. "Leave me alone, please!..." He begged as she ran her slender hand underneath his tshirt.

"Unfortunately, that chair harness is in the way." She said after searching for a way beneath it, finally withdrawing her hand.

Zoro gasped, trying and failing to dislodge his arms, as she forced her other hand down the back of his pants, fondling his buttocks. 

A light-hearted laugh. "Struggle all you like. You can't get away from me." She said calmly, then laughed again. Suddenly, she felt a sticky, warm wetness hit her right in the face. She opened surprised eyes looking straight at Zoro. There was a look on his face that was an impossible combination of abject fear, and pure hatred. There was a small drop of saliva on his lower lip.

In total shock, she ran her fingers down the trail of ejected spit that now stuck to her face, just between her cheek and nose, under her right eye. She peered at her fingers, then at Zoro, then her fingers again. Her anger growing, she gave Zoro the most hateful glare she could muster. 

She raised her hand high, and brought it down to smack Zoro, who'd braced himself for the impact, squarely in the middle of his face. "What did you do that for, you... you... _little shit_!" She shrieked loudly. Remembering herself, she lowered her voice.

Zoro had not expected the slap to hurt as much as it did. There was probably going to be yet another bruise later. "No..." he breathed heavily, recovering from the blow. "If _anyone_ is shit... it's _you_..."

She raised her hand again.

\--------------------

Luffy rushed toward Zoro's room after completing his assigned task. He hoped everything was still okay. The job had taken quite a bit longer than he'd thought it would. 

He was nearing the room when he'd heard a woman's voice yelling. 'Shit' he thought as he ran the last few steps reaching the room. He burst through the door just in time to see Morimoto slap Zoro, the sound of it ringing around the room. And by the looks of the angry red handprint already on his face, this wasn't the first time she'd done so.

"Stop it!" Luffy bellowed loudly, causing her to whirl her head around, stopping in her tracks. "I _knew_ it was you! What the _hell_ are you doing to Zoro?"

"...Luffy..." Zoro breathed out in great relief. Eyes darting down to his exposed self and then back to Luffy, he was relieved to find Luffy's attention was fully focused on the horrendous beast disguised as a woman in front of him.

"I... uh..." She glanced at Zoro and realized that his arms were still strapped down, and his clothes were still in disarray. He was also still exposed, with bruises on his wrist and jaw, and angry red handprints on his face. The evidence that she'd been doing things other than her assigned duties was on full display for all to see.

"Yeah. 'I, uh,' caught you red-handed, is what happened." Luffy said calmly, though inside he was raging. "Get away from him."

"Look. No one has to know about this-"

"Get away from him!" Luffy repeated, this time with more force. When she did so, Luffy moved over to Zoro. He looked his friend over. There was a fine tremor to Zoro's body, and he seemed ashamed to even look up at Luffy. Luffy whirled around to face Morimoto. "How can you live with yourself?" He asked her. "Messing around with someone who can't even defend himself from your advances? And you've hurt him too! Probably because he wouldn't do what you wanted!" 

"Well, he-"

"I don't wanna hear it. Sit down. I'll deal with you later." Luffy took a few deep breaths to calm his frazzled nerves. Then he set about putting Zoro's clothes back in order, after which, he whipped out his cell phone, dialing a number. It rang a time or two before it was picked up. "Hey, Kuina?"

\--------------------

Morimoto Aya sat under the scrutiny of three of the other four occupants of the room. Apparently, not only had Zoro actually told his sister and Luffy about everything previously done to him, there had also been a hidden camera installed after that which had recorded her every word and move this time. They, and Administrator Hina had seen everything. The slaps, the rebruising of Zoro's wrist, the callous dislocation of his shoulder, and the sexual abuse had all been caught on camera. She'd known, even before the video started playing, that she was well and truly busted.

"Did you abuse and sexually assault the other residents here, or just my brother?" Kuina asked angrily as she sat in a chair holding Zoro against her. His eye was closed and his face turned inward as she stroked his hair lovingly. There was bandaging around his right wrist for protection from bumps, and his arm was in a sling to keep it steady until it healed from the dislocation.

Although Morimoto was angry at Zoro, right now, she was more angry with herself for getting careless. She'd slipped up, and now she was going to have to pay for what she'd done. If the Roronoas decided to press charges, then...

" _Answer_ me!" Kuina nearly shouted, startling Morimoto out of her thoughts. Zoro flinched a little too. She held him tighter to comfort him.

Morimoto Aya sighed. She really didn't want to face Zoro's sister of all people. "Okay. It was mostly Zoro-"

Kuina bristled at this horrible woman's use of her brother's given name. She narrowed her eyes. "Roronoa-san." 

Morimoto's brow furrowed. "Okay. Roronoa-san." 

Kuina found Morimoto's callous disrespect infuriating, and it took all she had not to jump up and slap some respect into her.

Morimoto continued. "Roronoa-san... was the main one."

Kuina was silent for a moment, gathering her wits about her. She had to remain calm. Then, she spoke again. "I want you to tell me everything you did to my little brother, beginning from when you were first introduced. Give me the details."

Though abusing Zoro had been a sort of power trip for Morimoto, actually having to relay to his sister the disgusting and reprehensible things she'd done to him, filled her with such discomfort that she almost couldn't speak. It was one thing to _do_ those horrible things, but to _talk_ about them? To Zoro's _sister_?

As Morimoto haltingly described the many ways she had violated and abused her younger brother, Kuina got visibly more angry. No. Angry wasn't the way she'd describe her emotions. Kuina wasn't angry.

She was _furious_.

With a calm she could barely muster, Kuina said, "Is it making you, uh, _uncomfortable_ , to talk to me about what you did to my little brother?" She paused a second, then, she continued. "Just imagine that you had a younger brother someone was abusing. How would that make you feel?"

Morimoto's brow furrowed a bit, as if with concern, but she otherwise said nothing.

"I think we have all the information we need," Kuina said, icily eyeing Morimoto. Addressing the other occupants of the room, Kuina continued, "Zoro and I need to talk. Could you all wait outside for a few minutes?"


	7. Going Home Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events of the last chapter, Zoro gets to finally get out of the nursing home and come home to live with Kuina, Luffy helping her with him

Even though Zoro was a bit hesitant to do so, both he and Kuina eventually agreed that they should press charges against Morimoto Aya. The afternoon that Kuina had interrogated her, after she'd answered all of their questions, she'd been summarily dismissed and promptly arrested.

Zoro still had trouble looking people in the face, especially Luffy. Part of Zoro still felt as if what had happened to him was his own fault, and that Luffy would think less of him for it, even though the younger man had assured him time and again that he didn't.

"I'm glad she's gone. She was horrible," Luffy said one morning, as he dressed Zoro in one of his favorite hoodies and a pair of dark blue jeans. "But you knew she was trouble all along though, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Zoro agreed quietly. "But I didn't think she'd do anything like... _that_."

Luffy watched as Zoro's face took on a look of disgust. Then he looked as if he were about to be sick.

"Wait! Let me get you a bag," Luufy said as he moved to get one.

Zoro shook his head. "It's okay. I'll be alright in a second." He took a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly, calming himself. After a moment, he said, "I'm good now." He tried to smile, but right now, it just wasn't happening. He turned to silently gaze out of the window.

Luffy noticed that after the incidents with that... _woman_ , Zoro had been a lot quieter, and smiled less often than he had before they had happened. He was starting to retreat back into his old shell, the same one that Luffy had so painstakingly drawn him out of. Zoro hadn't even felt like getting out of bed these last few mornings. It made Luffy angry that his friend had suffered so much at her hands. 

"Hey Zoro," Luffy said, more to distract Zoro from his thoughts than anything else. "Want some raspberry lemonade? I made it last night!" He took out a large thermos from his bag.

Zoro wasn't very much into sweet drinks, or anything sweet really, but he didn't refuse, not wanting to hurt Luffy's feelings. 

Luffy held the cup for Zoro as he drank through a straw. "Good, isn't it?"

"It is!" Zoro said, surprised at the refreshing taste. "You should bottle this and sell it. Make some money."

"That's what Usopp always tells me," Luffy said. 

"Who's Usopp?" Zoro asked.

"Another one of my friends," Luffy clarified. "Maybe one day you'll get to meet him."

"I'd like that," Zoro said, taking another sip. This was the first time Zoro had heard Luffy speak of another friend of his. "Not often I get to meet new people, living in here. You use real fruit for this?"

"Yep!"

"It'll be even better in the summer when the raspberries are in season," he said as he finished his cup.

"We should go into business selling bottled lemonade," Luffy suggested. 

"With me? What could I do?" Zoro asked; a genuinely confused look on his face.

Luffy was about to answer when they heard a knock at the door; Kuina sticking her head in. 

"Hi, Boys!" 

As they greeted her, she noticed, as had Luffy, that Zoro had become quieter than usual, not that he was the talkative type in the first place, and that in the last few days, he hadn't smiled once. At least, not that she'd seen. 

Kuina pulled down the railings on Zoro's bed, sitting next to him. "Zoro? Are you okay?"

Zoro who'd been staring down at his hands, looked up, shaking his head slowly. 

She put her arm around him, careful of his shoulder. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Zoro thought for a few seconds, then he shook his head again. He gazed down at his hands.

"Alright, if you do feel like you wanna talk about it, I'll be here for you, okay?" She pulled him close, kissing him on his temple.

Zoro nodded, not looking up.

"Oh yeah, I have some good news for you, Little Brother." When he reluctantly looked up again, Kuina said, "I'm taking you out of here. You're going to be living with me now. No more nursing home. Isn't that great?"

"... Yeah." He smiled a small smile. "It is..."

Kuina was silent for a moment, thinking. Then she looked back at Zoro, saying, "Zoro? When you get situated living with me, would you... be comfortable talking to a counselor?"

Zoro looked back down at his hands. "...Have to think about it."

"Alright. Let me know what you decide. Okay?"

Zoro nodded once, and Kuina kissed his temple again. Then she turned to Luffy. "Luffy. I'm going to need your help taking care of Zoro at home, that is, if you would still like to do so."

Luffy, who had been happy to hear that Zoro was finally getting his freedom from the nursing home, grinned from ear to ear. "I'd love to! When do I start?"

Kuina chuckled quietly at his enthusiasm. "Once I get Zoro out of here, and situated at home, then we can iron out the details of what needs to be done."

\--------------------

As the CNAs gathered around Zoro at his going away party a week later, they each took turns hugging him. 

"We'll miss you Roronoa-san."  
"Please don't forget us. Will you keep in touch?"  
"We love you, Roronoa-san, come back and visit when you can!"

Zoro did his best to hug each one of them in turn, though it was hard for him to lift his arms that high. It didn't show on his face, but he was ecstatic to be finally getting out of this place. The CNAs were nice enough, but he felt trapped and limited, living here. He was happy to finally get to live with his sister.

Luffy sighed happily. He was glad he no longer had to work here also. Since he'd started working here as a legitimate employee rather than someone doing community service, the other CNAs had started treating him a little better, but he still hated working here. Caring for Zoro one-on-one without distraction would be much easier.

After the party, Luffy helped Kuina get Zoro into the van. As they drove toward her home, which actually wasn't too far from the nursing home, Luffy saw that there were shops, a supermarket, a mall, and restaurants around the suburb in which she lived.

"A lot of these places are within walking distance if you want to get something to eat, or go shopping, or do other things with Zoro," she said, pointing out things to Luffy. "Which brings me to one thing I want you to always remember."

Luffy's ears perked. 

"Never leave Zoro alone in the house when you go anywhere," she said, glancing over at him in the front passenger seat. "You should be within earshot of him at all times. He'll be completely dependent on you." 

Luffy nodded seriously. He understood the consequences involved in leaving Zoro alone, even while he was napping. 

"Going out to the mailbox is one thing," she continued. "But don't leave the house to go anywhere without him. Got that?"

"Got it," Luffy said, nodding his understanding.

Kuina turned into the driveway of a large, spacious home that was a Western/Japanese fusion. It had a blooming sakura in the front yard, and unlike a lot of Japanese homes, it had a porch with a small bench that seated two people, and a chair. They helped Zoro out of the van and walked with him to the ramp that led to the front door.

As Kuina opened the door, after they removed their shoes, Zoro maneuvered himself inside. A large long-hair calico trotted up to Zoro's powerchair, meowing as it went. "Kitetsu!" Zoro exclaimed grinning. It rubbed its head on Zoro's legrest before jumping up into his lap, purring loudly. Zoro used the heel of his hand to pet the cat's head, moving down its back. "I've missed you so much, Kitetsu..." Zoro said as the cat responded to his touch by turning and butting its head gently into the palm of Zoro's hand.

"It looks like he missed Zoro too," Luffy commented to Kuina.

"Actually, Kitetsu's a 'she'," Zoro corrected as he smiled down at the cat in his lap. "I named her before I found out her sex. By then, she was used to the name. I didn't want to confuse her by calling her something else. So Kitetsu it is."

"I see..." Luffy said as he tried to rub Kitetsu behind the ears. She quickly sniffed at Luffy's fingers, before letting him do so. Weirdly and annoyingly enough, she wanted to sniff his fingers before each stroke.

"She does that with people she doesn't know," Zoro explained. "Though sometimes, she'll do it with me too."

"She missed you while you were gone, Zoro," Kuina said as they traveled down the short hall towards the bedrooms.

"I know," Zoro said, watching Kisetsu settle down in his lap, where she likely wouldn't move for a while. "I wish they would've let me keep her at the home."

"Me too," Luffy agreed. "She's such a beautiful cat."

"Thanks," Zoro replied, smiling at the younger man.

They passed the first bedroom, and a bathroom, moving toward two more bedrooms that were across from one another. She opened the door to the one on the right, showing Luffy in. "Here's Zoro's room."

The room had a hospital type bed with railings, almost identical to the one he'd slept in at the nursing home. There was an oxygen machine next to the bed, along with a nightstand, chair, and table. His radio/CD player sat on the nightstand while his CDs had their own little shelving unit next to it. His TV and DVD Player were across the room from his bed, with the DVDs in a shelved case under that. 

On one wall, there were displayed three katana of various types, along with a pair of well worn shinai. A vintage Rush poster was pinned to another wall, next to a bookshelf filled with books on swordsmanship, katana, and kendo. There was a large window with an air conditioner in the room. Lobster Luffy and a baby blue plush floppy-eared one-eyed puppy that looked as if it had seen better days, lay on his neatly made up bed. 

The walls were painted a medium green color, and there wasn't much in the way of knick-knacks in the room. All in all, it was a nice bedroom for a 21 year old.

"Cool!" Luffy said as he walked in, looking around. "I love your bedroom!"

"Thanks, this is my first time since the accident coming to some semblance of home." Zoro explained.

Confused, Luffy asked, "What do you mean, 'some semblance'?"

Zoro continued. "I mean, before the accident, Sanji and I had an apartment. I was independent. But now, this is home."

"Ohh..."

"I have a list of things you'll need to do for Zoro," Kuina said. "But we can get to that once I finish showing you around."

Zoro followed Kuina as she took Luffy on a tour of her home. She showed Luffy the other bedrooms, the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room, and the laundry room. Then she showed him around the outside of her home.

"Wow, your home is really nice," Luffy said admiringly. "I hope to have a place like this one day."

"I'm sure you'll be able to," she said as they walked back inside. "You seem like the type of person who doesn't give up until he gets what he wants. So, do you want to go over the list now?"

"Sure, why not?"

\--------------------

The list turned out to not be very long, and most of the things he'd have to do for Zoro he'd already been doing for him in the nursing home. The biggest job seemed to be bathing him, but just about everything else was a piece of cake.

"So that will be your workload each day," Kuina explained as she sipped a can of fruit juice. "I'll pay you double what I paid you while he was in the home. Any questions?"

Luffy thought a moment, then shook his head. "Nah, can't think of anything." He looked over to Zoro who was across the room, dozing in his chair with Kitetsu curled up in his lap. He got an idea. "We should have a pizza party to celebrate Zoro's getting out of the nursing home,"

"Good idea," Kuina said. "Zoro will be hungry again when he wakes up. What kind of pizza did you have in mind?"

"Meat pizza!" Luffy grinned, throwing his hands in the air. 

She chuckled. "I'd prefer a veggie pizza myself, but Zoro would agree to a meat pizza," she said.

"Should I call them now?" Luffy asked as he dug in his pocket for his smartphone. 

"Hmmm... Yeah. Zoro should be awake by the time they arrive."

With his favorite pizza place on speed dial, Luffy got on the phone, quickly ordering two pepperoni and Italian sausage pizzas, and one veggie one. He also ordered cheesy breadsticks and a large bottle of cola before hanging up. "They said they'd be here in about half an hour." He turned to Kuina with a question. "I was just thinking. I have some friends I want Zoro to meet. Can they come over sometime?"

"Well, as long as you let me know ahead of time, I don't see why not," she said as she set the empty juice can on a coaster on the coffee table. "Also, I'll need to be here."

Luffy was happy that Kuina was going to let him have some friends over. "That's fine. I want you to meet them too," he told her truthfully.

Just then, they heard a low groan coming from Zoro's direction, looking up just in time to catch the look of anguish on the sleeping man's face. 

"...ve me alone... s-stop... leave me alone... please..." His head rolled on his headrest and his breathing quickened as he began to cry out.

Luffy pushed away his pain at seeing Zoro so frightened, getting up from where he was sitting, and going over to his sleeping friend. He placed a tentative hand on Zoro's shoulder, speaking softly into his ear. As Zoro began to calm down, Luffy rubbed his shoulders in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. After a several minutes, Zoro had fallen back into a peaceful slumber.

As Luffy walked back over to the sofa and sat down, an amazed Kuina asked, "What did you say to him?"

"I don't think it was so much what I said, but the sound of my voice that broke the nightmare," Luffy told her, opening a fruit juice of his own.

She watched Zoro go on sleeping as if his slumber hadn't just been disturbed. The care Luffy always took to make sure her little brother was comfortable and happy never ceased to amaze her. She was beginning to think of him as family. Luffy's voice brought her out of her thoughts. 

"Zoro's a wonderful person, isn't he?" Luffy said, leaning back on the sofa. "I'm really glad I met him."

'And I'm really glad we met you,' she thought, but didn't say it out loud. 

It wasn't too long before the pizza arrived, but Zoro was still sound asleep.

"Should I wake him up?" Luffy asked as he set the boxes down on the coffee table.

"Maybe. I think. Yeah. He should be awake for his own celebration," she said as she got up to get some plates for the pizza and cups for the cola. 

Luffy walked over to Zoro, gently shaking his shoulder. "Zoro? Zoro, wake up. It's time to eat."

As Zoro's mind swam back towards consciousness, his sensitive nose picked up the scent of pizza, waking him further. He opened a sleepy eye. 

Luffy walked back over to the boxes, picking out a slice. "Look Zoro! We got pizza while you were asleep!" Luffy grinned as he held up the slice for Zoro to bite.

"Wait, it'll be easier for him to eat if it's cut into bite-size pieces first," Kuina told him, getting up to get a fork and knife from the kitchen. Then she busied herself cutting up that slice, then another. When she was finished, she gave the plate and fork to Luffy who fed Zoro happily.

\--------------------

"It feels good to sleep in my own room again. Though I wish I could sleep in a normal bed without bars." Zoro said as Luffy pulled the blanket over him. It was dark in his room except for the bright blue glow from a nightlight, and quiet music was playing on the radio near them.

"You don't like the railings, huh?" Luffy asked, sitting down in a chair. He began to rub circles on Zoro's back. "I wouldn't wanna have to sleep like that, either. It'd feel like being in prison." 

"Tactful as always. But you're right." Zoro closed his eyes. "I'm a prisoner in my own bed." 

"Sorry if that was rude. You're not a prisoner, that was just a huge setback." 

"I don't like being totally dependent." Zoro sighed. "That's no kind of life to live."

"I know." Luffy couldn't imagine what it would be like if his own independence were cruelly snatched away.

"Luffy?" Zoro's quiet voice got his attention again.

"Yeah?"

"I'm really happy I met you." He paused for a moment, then continued. "Thanks for always being there for me." And with that, he closed his eye one last time, drifting off into dreamland.


	8. Lost and Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro meets Usopp; Usopp realizes that Zoro likes Luffy as more than a friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some minor changes in this chapter, also pingo helped me tweak the part where Luffy tells Zoro about what happened to Ace

"I've always wondered, but never really asked," Zoro said one afternoon while he and Luffy were watching music videos on tv. "What happened to your brother? ...If you don't mind me asking."

Luffy didn't really want to talk about what had happened to his brother. Doing so brought up painful memories for him. But then, Zoro had told him about Sanji, so he felt it only fair to tell Zoro about Ace.

Luffy sighed, then began, "It all started with Ace's so-called friend, Teach..."

He paused for so long Zoro began to think he'd changed his mind, but then he spoke. "Ace, my brother... he introduced me to his friend Teach one day. I never liked him. He looked at me weird when I shook his hand." Luffy made a face. "Ace must've noticed me glaring at Teach whenever he was around, and he asked me about it, but I didn't wanna say what was wrong." 

His eyes welled up and he wiped away the tears. 

"I kept thinking I saw him, I mean, Teach, everywhere I went. I tried telling Ace, but he thought I was imagining things. So, one day, I was out on my own, and I bumped into Teach and some of his friends. They backed me into a corner, and I tried to run, but they pinned me down. Then Ace came out of nowhere and beat them up. He held me and I told him what happened, and he said sorry he didn't believe me before."

"While me and Ace were talking, Teach came back and tried to kidnap me. Ace then jumps up, beginning to beat them up again... Only this time, Teach pulls out a gun, and I screamed. Ace told me to run, but I didn't wanna leave him there. Ace pushed me behind him, and... and Teach shot him. He killed him." Luffy was crying now. "Ace looked at me, and he said, 'I promised I'd protect you, no matter what.' And then he... he stopped... he died."

When Zoro looked back at Luffy, he saw his face was streaked with tears. Zoro held out his arms to Luffy. Luffy went into his arms, and Zoro held him as he cried into his shirt. 

"I'm so sorry something like that happened to you," Zoro said sincerely. He couldn't imagine what he'd do if something happened to his sister. "It's a really shitty world we live in." 

After a while, Luffy pulled away, his nose red and his eyes puffy. 

"Come on, let's get out of here and go somewhere else for a while," Zoro cajoled. "Wanna get something for lunch?"

Luffy thought for a second, then nodded, wiping at his eyes.

"My wallet's in a backpack in my room," Zoro told Luffy. "Get that for me and we can head out."

\--------------------

"I didn't know asking you about your brother would make you so upset," Zoro said as he and Luffy travelled by foot (and wheel) to the nearby mall. "I'm really sorry."

"You told me about Sanji even though it was painful for you," Luffy said as they turned a corner, then stopped, waiting for the signal to change so they could cross the street. "So it's okay." 

"But still," Zoro began, then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up. Luffy was smiling at him warmly, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. 

"It's okay. Really," he said.

After a few more minutes of walking, the mall came into view. It wasn't overly large, but it did have two floors. Surprisingly, around this time, the parking lot wasn't packed. Maybe the people who worked here went somewhere else for lunch?

Luffy held the door open for Zoro who maneuvered his way in. "I haven't been here in ages!" Zoro said as he and Luffy headed to the food court. 

"I've been here a few times, but I live in a different part of town, so I don't come here as often," Luffy replied.

"Which part of town do you live in?" Zoro asked, looking up at Luffy.

"Over in Kinoko Par-" he began, but was cut off by someone calling his name.

"Luffy!... Oi, Luffy!" 

The voice was coming from a long nosed man with an enormous curly ponytail that seemed to sprout from the back of his head. 

"Usopp!" Luffy exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to try that new place for lunch!" The long-nosed man, who was apparently the Usopp Luffy had mentioned at the nursing home, said, then he looked down at Zoro. "Is this Zoro?"

"Yeah! Usopp meet Zoro, Zoro meet Usopp!" Luffy introduced.

"Nice to finally meet you Zoro!" Usopp said excitedly, shaking the green-haired man's hand. "Luffy talks about you all the time, but I never thought I'd get to meet you!"

"...Nice to finally meet you too," Zoro said. Luffy had talked to his friends about him? "Luffy told me he had a friend named Usopp."

"He did?" The long nosed man said. "What'd he say?"

Zoro shrugged. "Not much, just that we'd had the same idea about bottling Luffy's lemonade."

"It's really good, isn't it?" Usopp gushed, then he heard Zoro's stomach rumble. "Hungry?" 

"Yeah," Zoro admitted, placing his hands on his belly.

"Let's go eat then! My treat!" Usopp said excitedly, as he began to lead the way to the food court.

"But I was gonna treat Luffy," Zoro objected. 

"Hmm... Tell you what," Usopp conceded. "You treat him to lunch, and I'll treat him to dessert!"

Zoro smiled at this. "Sounds like a plan."

\--------------------

"Ahh, that hit the spot!" Zoro said, hands again on his now-full belly. "Where should we go now?"

"Well, I actually only came here to eat lunch," Usopp said, rubbing his chin. "But I guess I can hang with you guys a little longer."

"Yay!" Luffy exclaimed.

"That's great!" Zoro said, smling. "So... Where should we go?"

"Well... there's a candy store not too far from where we are," Usopp told them. "Let's go there."

Going into the store, they were met with shelves of wall-to-wall plastic containers of candy. There were several displays on the floor too.

"Oi, Luffy," Zoro called. He was already at one wall which had various flavors of jelly beans in one area. "Let's get some of these."

"There's Matcha flavored jelly beans, and Sakura flavored too," Luffy said as he and Usopp walked over to where Zoro was, and peered at the labels on the containers. "Sakura flavored? Weird!"

"As long as they're not chocolate, I'm good," Zoro said, wishing he could reach the jelly beans in question.

"You don't like chocolate?" Usopp asked surprised.

"No."

Luffy was just as surprised as Usopp was. "Why not?"

"Sweets aren't my thing. Especially chocolate," the green-haired man said.

"Wow, you're like the total opposite of Chopper," Usopp said, reaching for a bag to put Zoro's jelly beans into. "He _loves_ sweets. You want the matcha ones too?"

Zoro looked up at him. "Yeah. Who's Chopper?"

"He's one of our friends," Luffy explained. "He's really young but he's already studying medicine! He's gonna be a doctor one day!"

"How many other friends do you guys have?" Zoro asked, reaching for the beans that Usopp had gotten for him.

"Let's see, you still haven't met Chopper, Nami, Robin, Franky, or Brook."

A genuine smile lit up Zoro's face. "We should throw a party and invite them, Luffy. I'll need to ask Kuina first though."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you had an older sister," Usopp said as he got a bag to fill for himself.

A surprised Zoro asked, "How do you know about my sister?"

"Luffy told me," he said as he sealed his bag.

\--------------------

"We got a good haul," Usopp said to Luffy and Zoro. They'd each gotten several flavors of jelly beans, lollipops, bubble gum, and novelty candies.

"Yeah, let's go home and eat it all now!" Luffy exclaimed happily.

Usopp sighed. "This is at least two weeks worth of candy for each of us. We can't just eat it all today."

Luffy poked out his lip. "Why _noooot_?" 

"Because we'd get sick." 

"I wouldn't."

"That's cause you don't have the composition of a normal human."

Luffy heard Zoro snort with laughter beside him. His brows furrowed. "What's so funny Zoro?"

"You can really pack it in when you want to!" The green-haired man told him. 

"Both of you have abnormally big appetites," Usopp remarked. "Where should we go next?"

"Music store," Zoro said as his laughter calmed. "I wanna see what they have in the import section."

\--------------------

"They have 'Young King' by Kick The Can Crew here!" Luffy exclaimed. "But it's so much! I don't have that kind of money!"

Zoro who came over to Luffy from the import section, said, "I have the money, I can get it for you."

"Well, it's rare, that's why it costs so much, and you already treated me to lunch," he said to Zoro, about to put back the CD. "But thanks anyway."

"What are you talking about? After all you've done for me?" Zoro said, putting a hand on Luffy's arm to stop him from putting the CD back. "Let me get it for you."

"You sure? It's a lot of money," Luffy said. 

Zoro nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Luffy smiled warmly as he and Zoro took the CD up to the cash register. "Thanks Zoro."

"No problem."

\--------------------

"One more stop, then I need to get back," Usopp said as they were moving through the spacious building.

"Me and Zoro should probably get back soon too," Luffy said, knowing that Zoro was going to be tired and want a nap before Kuina got home. "Where do you wanna go?"

"Well, I-" Usopp started, then he looked around. "Speaking of Zoro, where is he?"

"What are you talking about? He's right-" Luffy said as he looked to his right. Zoro wasn't in his usual place at his side. He stopped, looking around him. No sign of the familiar green hair anywhere. "Oh no! Where'd he go?"

"Okay, don't panic. Let's retrace our steps," Usopp said. "Where did we last see him?"

"The music store," Luffy told him remembering. 

"Alright, let's go back and look in that area," Usopp said turning around, heading back in the direction of the music store. "Maybe he's still around there."

\--------------------

He'd only stopped for a second as he'd passed an electronics store, gazing at a TV show displaying various kendo techniques. Before he'd known it, they'd disappeared into the crowd before he'd known where they'd gone. Looking around, he couldn't see over anyone to find his friends. After some thought, he turned his chair around and headed to where he thought he remembered the music store was.

\--------------------

"Okay, so he's not here," Usopp said as they stopped in front of the music store. "Any idea where else he might have gone?"

"No!" Luffy smacked the sides of his face with his hands. "Oh, Kuina's gonna _kill_ me! He's dependent on me and I'm not supposed to leave him alone!"

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down! Maybe he just wandered off," Usopp reasoned, laying his hands on Luffy's shoulders. "At least you know he's still somewhere in the mall. Come on!"

\--------------------

Zoro wondered just how he ended up across the mall from where the music store was. Figuring that he should head back the way he came, he turned around again.

\--------------------

Luffy was still wondering how knowing that Zoro was still in the mall was going to help when Usopp had an idea.

"You take the escalator upstairs, and I'll stay down here. When you get up there, call me," Usopp instructed. 

Luffy ran to the nearest escalator, then deciding that the elevator would be faster, he found it, stepped in, and pushed the button for the second floor. When it stopped and the doors opened, he stepped out, whipping out his smartphone. He dialed Usopp's number, who almost immediately picked up. He walked over to the railing, peering over it to see if he could see Usopp.

"Can you see me?" The voice on the phone asked. Luffy looked to the spot near the escalators, where he spotted his friend.

"Yeah, I see you," Luffy reported back.

"Okay," Usopp said. "Now, while you're up there, see if you can spot Zoro. When you find him, tell me which direction he's in." 

The plan was so easy, Luffy felt as if he should have thought of it himself. "Will do."

There can't be too many other green-haired powerchair users in this mall, Luffy thought as he scanned the crowd for his friend. It had taken a few minutes, but after a while, Luffy spotted his friend. And from the looks of him, Zoro was as frantically searching for them as they were for him. "Found him Usopp! Go to your left and around the curve, but hurry! He keeps changing direction."

Usopp hurried to his left, rounding the curve that Luffy had indicated. It wasn't long before he also spotted the familiar head of green hair. "Zoro!"

The head of green stopped, and from behind him, Usopp could see Zoro's ears perk. "Usopp?"

"Yeah, it's me!" He said as he caught up to the powerchair, walking alongside Zoro. "Where'd you go? You had us worried!"

"I stopped for a second to watch TV, and then you guys got lost," Zoro sighed. They moved to a nearby bench to wait for Luffy. "I was looking for you, but it's hard to see in a crowd from the chair." 

"Are you ever gonna be able to walk again?" Usopp asked, concerned. 

Zoro shrugged. "Doctors say maybe, but it'd take years of therapy. Not that I'm unwilling. It's hard to do kendo and parkour in a chair, you know? Anyway, where's Luffy?"

"On his way back down from the second floor," Usopp told him.

Zoro's face flushed as he thought about Luffy. He smiled a small smile. He couldn't deny it. He really liked Luffy. _Really_ liked Luffy. Was it possible that he was developing feelings for him? After all, thinking about Luffy lately was starting to make him feel the way he'd felt about Sanji. But he wondered whether or not Luffy felt the same way. Luffy seemed not to mind spending all his time with him. But then, that could have just been because it was his job to do things for Zoro. But then again...

"Hey Zoro, you feeling okay?" Usopp asked, the concern leaking into his voice this time. "You're spacing out and your face is flushed."

"Huh?" 

"I said, are you okay?"

"Yeah... yeah, I'm okay, just thinking about things," Zoro said, brushing off his embarrassment on being caught. He could only hope Usopp was the clueless type and wouldn't put two and two together.

Usopp gazed at Zoro a bit longer, then chalked his behaviour up to tiredness since he did look like he needed a nap, after all. A few minutes later, Luffy came running up to them.

"Zoro~! Where've you been? We've been looking all over for you!" Luffy said as he slowed to a stop in front of his friends.

"Apparently looking for us." Usopp smiled at Zoro, then said, "Let's go, it's getting late, and Zoro looks like he could fall asleep any second."

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

Zoro didn't feel like arguing further. Besides, a nap did sound pretty good right about now.

\--------------------

As Usopp drove back to the barber shop/beauty salon he owned down in Kinoko Park in East Blue prefecture, he thought about things. Zoro buying Luffy that expensive CD, him smiling and blushing directly after mentioning his name, him hanging out with Luffy all the time... If Usopp didn't know better, he'd say that Zoro...

It was then that it hit him.

Zoro liked Luffy.

Zoro liked Luffy!

Zoro liked Luffy the same way Luffy liked him!

He'd already known how much Luffy had liked Zoro. From the first time he'd started working in that nursing home and met Zoro for the first time, Luffy had gushed and gone on and on about "this really great guy named Zoro".

Now that he'd figured it out, Usopp had to get Luffy and Zoro together! Since neither of them seemed to realize that they liked the other, Usopp thought it would be perfect to set them up on a blind date. When he got home, he'd talk to Nami about this.

\--------------------

"That was fun!" Luffy said as he plopped down into the plush living room chair. "We should do that again soon!"

"It was, but I'm ready for a nap," Zoro said, laying his head on his head rest.

"It's almost time for Kuina to come home," Luffy said leaning back. "You sure you wanna nap so late?"

Zoro shrugged. He could sleep anytime, regardless of whether he'd had a nap or not. "I'll still be able to sleep tonight."

"Somehow, I believe you." Luffy grinned as he leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes


	9. Making Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usopp and Nami make plans to set Luffy and Zoro up on a date; Zoro gets his settlement money

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One major change to this chapter, and a few minor ones

"Hey Nami, you know how Luffy's always gushing on and on about Zoro?" Usopp said, speaking into his smartphone as he carefully cut a head of hair in his salon. 

"Yeah?" She said, hanging onto his words. Her phone lay on her coffee table as she sat, typing on the keyboard of her laptop.

"And everyone thinks Luffy's in _love_ with Zoro?" Usopp continued.

"We _know_ he is. Anyway, what were you gonna say?"

"I happened to be in the mall earlier and ran into Luffy." Usopp used a brush to brush off the hair clippings from the back of the man's neck, then removed the apron from around the man, sending him on his way. 

"But you run into one of us a lot, don't you?" Nami asked, then picked up a sheet of paper, reading it for a second, putting it down, then continued typing. 

"Yeah, but this time... _Zoro_ was with him!"

"You met _Zoro_? _The_ Zoro?" Since Luffy had begun working in the nursing home, Zoro had become somewhat of a legend among the group of friends. Like an undiscovered tribe of people that only Luffy had seen so far. 

Usopp placed his cutting instruments into a sanitizing liquid to clean for the next customer. "Yeah! And he's like Luffy describes him, only better!" 

Nami chuckled. "Now _you're_ starting to gush!"

As another customer sat in his chair, he pulled out another set of cutting instruments, draped the apron around the new customer, then went to work on the new head. "Anyway, that wasn't what I was calling about. What I'm calling you about is, I think Zoro feels the same about Luffy as Luffy feels about him!"

Nami paused in her work. "You're saying you think Zoro _likes Luffy_?"

"Yes! He hangs around with Luffy like all the time, for starters."

"But that could just mean that they're really good friends," Nami said reasonably, going back to what she was doing.

"True, but he also bought Luffy a rare CD he'd wanted. That's not something you do for someone who's just a friend."

"Well... yeah..."

"And it seems like when he talks about Luffy, or thinks about him, he goes red in the face and smiles this shy smile." Usopp finished the man's haircut with an edge-up before sending him on his way.

"Well, now that you mentioned that, it does seem like Zoro might like Luffy too," Nami said, thinking. "But we can't really be sure. Maybe we shouldn't interfere."

"But there's no harm in setting them up on a date. Maybe it'll turn out that they do like each other, and if not? They could still have fun hanging out with one another. It's a win-win!"

"I don't know..." Nami sighed. "Luffy will be heartbroken if he discovers that Zoro may not feel the same about him."

"And if that happens, I'll take full responsibility," Usopp spoke into his phone nodding once.

Nami still felt that they shouldn't interfere. To give Luffy some time to tell Zoro how he felt about him himself. She cared about Luffy, as she did all her nakama, and really didn't want to see him get hurt. "You'd better."

\--------------------

When Kuina got home, she found Zoro and Luffy asleep in the living room. She put down her things, going over to Luffy, shaking him awake. "Luffy? Luffy, I'm home now, but Zoro and I need to go to the supermarket to buy things we need for dinner. You want to come with us?"

"Hi Kuina. Yeah, I'll come," Luffy said, stretching lazily.

Kuina smiled, then she moved over to Zoro, shaking him gently. "Zoro? Zoro?"

He slowly opened his good eye. Seeing who it was, he smiled sleepily. "Hey Kuina."

"Hey Zoro," she said, putting away her work items. "I know you're tired, but we need some things from the supermarket to make dinner. What would you like to eat?" She knew that Zoro liked to go with her to help her pick out his favorite things.

He was really in the mood for beef hot pot served over white rice, but knew that it would be a lot of trouble for Kuina to prepare, so he said simply, "Natto and rice..."

Kuina knew that Zoro wasn't telling her what he really wanted. He often got like that when he didn't want to bother her. She stooped to be closer to eye level with him. "I know you really want something else. Tell me what you really want," she said patiently.

He averted his eyes. "...Beef hot pot over rice..."

"Yeah! I love that!" Luffy exclaimed, sitting at the edge of the chair.

"Alright, I'll get the ingredients to make a nice dinner!" Kuina said as she stood up. "You're going to stay to eat, right Luffy?" She smiled at him.

Luffy was happy that they wanted him to stay, but he didn't want to impose. "Well... only if you want me to..."

"We do!" Zoro said, smiling shyly at Luffy. It was a rare thing to see.

"That settles it then. Let me change out of my work clothes, then we can head to the supermarket," Kuina said as she went to do just that.

\--------------------

As Luffy helped Zoro into the van, Kuina went to check the mail. Sifting through the contents of her hands, she stopped at a letter from the Zuuko & Fujiwara law offices. Zuuko & Fujiwara had handled the case after the drunk-driving accident that had nearly killed Zoro. She opened the envelope, getting out the letter, skimmed through it, then reached into the envelope again to pull out a check for 30,000,000 yen; the lawyer's fees of 10,000,000 already deducted.

She smiled, putting the check back into the envelope, walking back toward the van. Getting in, she said, "Good news, Zoro, your check came."

"That's good," he commented smiling. "Now you won't have to work anymore."

"Oh, I'm still going to work. This is your money, Zoro, not mine," Kuina told him.

Zoro's face fell. "But you shouldn't have to work so hard."

"Hmm, I'll tell you what. If it'll make you happy, I'll see where I can cut down my work hours. I'll still be working, but I'll have more time to spend with you. Would that be okay?"

That didn't really make Zoro happy. Kuina hadn't really had any extra time to pick up a kendo shinai since Zoro's accident. What about things she wanted to do? "You shouldn't have to spend your extra time with me. What about your hobbies? Your kendo?"

She chose her words carefully. "My most worthy opponent is no longer able to spar with me, so kendo has lost all it's meaning for me now... I love you Zoro, and caring for you and making sure you're happy is a top priority of mine. I no longer have a passion for kendo anymore." 

For once, Zoro was speechless. She had given up kendo because of what had happened to him? Sadness threatened to consume him at her words. He knew he had no reason to feel this way, since it hadn't been his fault that he'd been messed up in the accident, but he still felt bad.

Upon seeing Zoro's heartbroken appearance, Kuina apologized sincerely. "I'm sorry Zoro, I know how much kendo still means to you..." It hurt her to see her little brother so unhappy.

He sighed heavily. "...It's okay..." 

"With therapy, your hands could get to where they could hold a shinai again," Luffy said, turning behind him to face Zoro. "Then maybe you could spar with Kuina again, even if you're in a wheelchair."

Kuina didn't miss the glimmer of hope that lit up Zoro's good eye as he raised his head at Luffy's words. Zoro didn't want to be the reason that Kuina gave up her beloved kendo, she knew. Maybe Luffy was right. Maybe she shouldn't have been so hasty to give up kendo after Zoro's debilitating accident.

Zoro's heart really did long to spar with Kuina again. "You really think so?"

"I know so!" Luffy assured. "It'll be a long hard road, but you'll get there eventually."

Kuina watched as the somber mood slowly lifted from around Zoro, and a small smile appeared on his face. That was one thing she liked about Luffy. He always knew what to say to make Zoro happy, and she knew he meant every word.

"Anyway, we need to stop by the bank to deposit your check before it closes, then head on over to the supermarket before it gets crowded," she said as she started the van, backing out.

\--------------------

As they drove down the street to the bank, Kuina asked, "What did you and Zoro do today?"

Luffy grinned. "We went to the mall where we met my friend Usopp!"

"Yeah!" Zoro piped in. "He has this really fluffy hair pulled back in a big puff! It looks really cool!"

Luffy pulled down his sun visor, looking at Zoro in the mirror. "Your hair would probably do the same thing if you grew it out, Zoro!"

Zoro shook his head. "No way! I couldn't handle that much hair! It's wild enough as it is!"

"I like your hair," Luffy told him honestly.

"So what did you guys do there?" Kuina asked as she rounded a corner.

"First we ate lunch," Luffy said. "Then we went to the candy and music stores. We didn't really do much..." He didn't really want to go into the fact that they had lost Zoro for a while.

Kuina noticed that Luffy had trailed off and gotten quiet. There was something he wasn't telling her. "Is that all?"

"Yeah..." Luffy said quietly, hoping she wouldn't inquire further.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" She asked. 

Luffy debated whether or not to tell her that he'd lost her little brother even if it was just for a little while. He bit his lip. 

"You can tell me," she said. "I promise I won't get angry." At least she hoped it wasn't something she'd be angry about.

Luffy looked as if he were about to cry. Then he spilled it all at once. "I TRIED TO FIND HIM AFTER I LOST HIM, BUT IT TOOK A LONG TIME, AND THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE, AND WE COULDN'T FIND HIM, AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO LOSE HIM-"

"Wait, wait, calm down," she said, sounding to Luffy remarkably like Usopp had earlier. "Is that all?" She chuckled. "Don't worry, Zoro has a very poor sense of direction so he gets lost easily."

"Kuina!..." Embarrasment colored Zoro's cheeks.

Luffy was relieved that Kuina wasn't angry with him. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"But it's good that you showed responsibility by trying to find him right away after you noticed he was lost," she said as she turned into the bank parking lot. She pulled to a stop between two cars. "You ready to go in, Zoro?"

He sighed. "Yeah."

\--------------------

"So how are we going to go about getting them on a blind date?" Nami said as she sat on her sofa, drinking tea, across from Usopp, who sat in her living room chair. "Especially since they're already together most of the time. It would be hard for one to not find out what the other was planning."

"Well..."

"Why not just set them up on a normal date, since they already know each other," she said.

"They'd probably never go for the idea of being set up on a date if they knew they were each other's dates!" Usopp protested. "A blind date is better."

"If Zoro likes Luffy the way you say he does, then he'd have no problem being Luffy's date," Nami reasoned. "In fact, he'd probably be happy."

"Hmm, you're probably right. But the idea of a blind date sounds so good!" He said. "Especially for what would be such a cute couple."

"I haven't seen Zoro yet," Nami said. "What's he look like, from your point of view?"

"Like Luffy's said, he did lose his eye, and he has a long narrow scar where it used to be, but other than that, Zoro looks good for someone who was nearly killed in that accident," Usopp said. "He actually looks really cool!" 

It was kind of hard for Nami to imagine that Zoro would look nice, or even cool with a scar in place of his missing eye, but then, she wasn't really one to judge until she at least saw for herself. Besides, Luffy had an eye scar as well, and it didn't diminish his appearance in the least. Maybe it would be the same for Zoro.

"Anyway, since we're planning a normal date now, we need to call the others to see how we're gonna do this."

\--------------------

"I've had power of attorney over Zoro since he woke from his coma," Kuina said as they headed to the supermarket. "Yet they still gave me a hard time opening checking and saving accounts for him. I finally had to open joint accounts."

"Me and Ace had a joint account but after he... passed, I had to close it and open a new one," Luffy told Kuina.

"It was the same with me and Sanji," Zoro said from the back. 

"I'm just glad that it's over and done with," Kuina said as she pulled into the parking lot of the supermarket, parking, then getting out to help Luffy with Zoro.

As they walked in, getting their shopping carts, Zoro went on ahead of them. Kuina said to Luffy, "Keep your eye on Zoro. Make sure he doesn't wander off. I'll pick up the things we need for dinner, you can go ahead and get Zoro anything else he wants." 

"Anything?" Luffy asked, not sure what she meant.

" _Anything_ ," Kuina emphathized. She knew that what she was saying may have sounded to others as if she were spoiling a little child. But Zoro was her precious little brother, and he'd been through a lot over the past several months. Still, he didn't ask for much, and she was always happy to give him whatever it was he did ask for.

"Okay," Luffy said as he trotted to catch up to Zoro and walked by his side. "Let's see if they have any food samples for us to try," he said to his green-haired friend, then noticed that Zoro had a self-conscious look on his face. "What's wrong Zoro?" He asked quietly.

"People are staring at me..." Zoro said, speaking quietly as he bit his lip.

Luffy looked around at the people who were trying to avoid his gaze. He realized that they'd been staring because Zoro was in a wheelchair. It was different from when they'd been in the mall since it had been more crowded. He squeezed Zoro's shoulder, letting him know that he wasn't embarrassed to be with him and that he wouldn't abandon him. "Don't worry about them, Zoro. You're strong for having survived and endured all you've been through. If they stare at you, it's because they're admiring your strength and courage."

Zoro hadn't thought about it that way. If Luffy chose to think of it that way, then so would he. A small smile lit up his face as they made their way to a sampling booth.

"Hello, would you two like to try a sample?" The lady in the booth asked. She had two different kinds of pasta in little plates with spoons. There was Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo and Penne pasta in a meat sauce.

"Yeah! I'll try the penne pasta," Luffy turned to Zoro. "You want the alfredo, right?"

"Yeah," Zoro said as the woman gave Luffy the penne and alfredo. It was hot; steam rising from it. Luffy carefully blew on Zoro's sample to cool it down, before feeding it to him. 

Zoro was slightly embarrassed by the gesture, but smiled anyway because it was Luffy doing it. They were both completely unaware of the food sample lady watching them lovingly, thinking about how cute it was.

"That was pretty good," Zoro said, swallowing.

Luffy nodded. "I know, right?"

They thanked the sample booth lady and went on their way.

As they traveled through the store, many things that reminded him of Sanji, caught Zoro's eye. He saw cooking utensils of various types that Sanji had liked to use. He even saw some of Sanji's favorite imported spices. He needed to get away from these aisles before the tears began to flow again. He took his mind off of Sanji by focusing on Luffy and where he was going.

Suddenly, Luffy took off for the meat section with Zoro close behind. Looking over the beef, pork, poultry, and fish, he said, "I'm in the mood for a steak tonight, how 'bout you?"

"I thought you were gonna eat beef hot pot with us?" Zoro said, puzzled.

"Oh yeah..." He said practically salivating. He picked up four bone-in ribeyes and put them in his cart. "I'll get these for us for lunch and dinner tomorrow."

Just then, Kuina came over with a cart of various vegetables, some seasonings, and a large bag of white rice. She picked up a few packages of beef slices. "You boys ready to check out?"

"Yeah, I'm done," Luffy said as the three traveled to the registers. 

\--------------------

"Before we head home, I need to stop by the department store," Kuina said as she headed in that direction. Finding a close parking space, she turned to Luffy and Zoro, asking, "You boys coming in?"

"Nah, we're good," Luffy said. A tired Zoro nodded.

"Alright, I'll be right out," Kuina said as she got out of the van and shut the door.

They sat quietly for a moment, then Luffy turned to Zoro. "Hey Zoro? Kuina said it was okay, so I'm gonna bring some friends over soon, so you can meet them."

"Sounds good."

They were quiet again for a little bit longer, then, "We probably shoulda gone in."

"Yeah," Zoro agreed. He yawned, causing Luffy to yawn himself in response.

"Tired?" Luffy asked.

Zoro shook his head. "Bored."

"Same."

"Kuina left the keys in the ignition." Luffy observed. "Wanna listen to the radio?"

"Yeah, why not?" Zoro said.

Luffy flipped the ignition to battery mode, then turned on the radio. The opening notes of "Red Barchetta" by Rush filled the inside of the van.

Zoro's heartbeat quickened, and he got chill bumps on the skin of his arms. "Hey, turn this up! I love this song!"

"Hey, I've heard this before!" Luffy said, doing what he'd been told. "I love it too! By the way, I don't think you ever told me but, how come don't you like Hotel California?"

Zoro made a face. "'Cause, that melody... It creeps me out. But now I have another reason to hate it."

"What is it?" Luffy asked.

He sighed. "Morimoto. It was playing the afternoon she came in and... did those things. Seemed like it went on forever." He made another face.

Luffy's face became one of concern. "Damn, Zoro... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. It's not your fault. Anyway, let's just enjoy this song until Kuina comes back."

\--------------------

After feeding Zoro his dinner and giving him a bath, Luffy helped Kuina put Zoro to bed, even though it was still only 8:00 pm. Shortly after this, Luffy bid Zoro and Kuina goodnight, and headed home.

"Can you turn on the radio?" Zoro asked Kuina as he lay in bed on his belly. Kitetsu was curled up against his side. 

"Sure!" Kuina reached over and turned on his radio to one of his favorite stations. "You want this station?"

"Yeah, thanks," he said, then he was quiet for a while. As Kuina massaged his scalp, which made him feel really relaxed and sleepy, it was a long time before he spoke again. "I... I think..."

Kuina looked down at her sweet little brother. 

Zoro continued on. "I think... I like Luffy... Like... like... The same way I..."

"Liked Sanji?" Kuina finished for him. She smiled warmly down at her brother.

"Yeah!" Zoro affirmed. "But... I... don't know... if he likes me the same way... You know?"

Kuina shrugged as her massaging fingers moved to the area near the nape of his neck. "Oh, I don't know. I think you may be pleasantly surprised."

Zoro's eyebrows shot up. "You think he likes me too?"

"I believe he might," she said as she picked up a brush and began to run it in long, calming strokes through his short, spiky locks. "At least to some extent. He's been enamored with you since he first met you. I think it's safe to say that he likes you back."

A relieved smile graced Zoro's face as his good eye closed. "Don't spread this around, but... I think I've liked Luffy for a while, and I just haven't realized it until now. I'll always love Sanji, but I think my heart has room for two." 

Kuina was happy that Zoro was finally putting his past behind him, and moving on, learning to love again. Luffy had brought Zoro's smile back, and she hoped that Zoro would smile for a long time to come. 

She began to rub circles on his back until he'd fallen into a peaceful sleep.

\--------------------

As Luffy put his car in park and prepared to get out, his cell rang. Taking it out of his pocket, he saw that the caller was Usopp. Swiping the answer icon on the screen, he said, "Luffy here, what's up?"

"What's up is we're setting you and Zoro up on a date!" Usopp announced over the phone.

Luffy nearly dropped his phone. He must've heard wrong. "W-What?"

"You know how you feel about Zoro?" Usopp began to explain. "Well, I'm pretty sure he feels the same way."

"Pretty sure?" Luffy repeated.

"No, not pretty sure, _absolutely_ sure! He's always smiling when he talks about you, plus, he bought you that expensive CD, right? And he's always hanging out with you!" 

"Well, that last part is true, but that's 'cause I take care of him," Luffy said. "We have to be together."

"Well, yeah... but I think he _likes_ being around you," Usopp insisted. "You should see him when he talks about you when you're not around."

"I guess I could go on a date with him. And even if he doesn't like me like that, we'll still have fun," Luffy reasoned, trying hard to hide his excitement. He really hoped that Zoro liked him back! He wanted the date to go well!

"That's what I was thinking too!" Usopp laughed. "Anyway, how does this coming Saturday sound? According to the forcast, the weather should be perfect! About 23 degrees C out."

"I dunno. Zoro usually likes weather on the cooler side of things," Luffy told him. "Something about not liking to sweat."

Probably because he has to stay strapped in his chair all the time, Usopp thought. "I'm not sure what to say other than, make sure he dresses for warm weather."

"I will," Luffy said as he started to get out of his car. Locking it, he headed up the stairs to his apartment home. "So what time are we supposed to be getting together?"

"It'll be an all day thing so it'll be sometime in the morning, like eleven," Usopp said as Luffy unlocked his door, slipping off his shoes to leave outside. He walked inside, flipping on the lights, and shutting the door.

"I'll need to get permission from Kuina to take him on an all day date," Luffy said, as he walked over to the fridge, opening it. He took out a cold shank of meat, placing it on a plate to be microwaved. "I hope she doesn't mind me taking him." Luffy took the plate out of the microwave, sitting at his kitchen table to eat.

"I'll keep my fingers crossed for you! Anyway, it sounds like you're about to eat again, so I'll leave you to it." Usopp said. "Nite Luffy, and remember 11 a.m. this coming Saturday!"


	10. Going Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy and Zoro go on a date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some major changes in this chapter, as well as a few minor ones

"Hey Zoro, you got a letter from Usopp, weirdly enough," Kuina said that following day as she came in from work. "Did you give him our address, Luffy?"

Luffy tensed a bit. He hadn't really asked Kuina if he could he give out her address. "Yeah, but it was only because he wanted to send Zoro something."

"Alright, just so long as you let me know ahead of time next time," she said to Luffy. Then to Zoro she said, "You want me to open it now, or after dinner?"

Zoro was lying stretched out on the couch with Kitetsu lying on his belly. Kitetsu was licking Zoro's arm with her scratchy tongue. "You can open it now."

"Okay," she said as she took a miniature katana letter opener, and neatly sliced open the top of the envelope. She pulled out the letter and give it to Luffy, who held it so that Zoro could read it. 

As Zoro read the letter, his good eye grew wider. "Usopp... is setting Luffy and I up on a date..."

"What?! Let me see that!" Kuina said, moving over to the sofa. She took the letter, giving it a once over. "It says you'll be going on the date this Saturday at 11, and that it'll be all day."

"I know I haven't asked your permission, but can I take Zoro out for the day? I promise I'll have him back by whatever time you want him back home," he said, feeling like a highschooler again. 

"Well, I guess I don't mind. But you'll have to take my van, for Zoro's powerchair," she said. "Also, let me see your phone for a sec." Luffy handed it to her. "I should have told you about this earlier, but because he gets lost easily, Zoro's chair has a GPS built in." She showed him an app that she'd downloaded to his phone. "You can use this to find him. A friend of mine developed it for me." She handed it back to Luffy.

"Hey," Zoro said from the sofa. "Don't I get a say in this?"

Luffy and Kuina were so happy, that they had forgotten to ask Zoro. They both said, "Of course!"

Luffy then asked hesitantly, "Would you like to go out on a date? With me?"

A wide grin spread across Zoro's young face, and he didn't hesitate. 

"Yes!"

\--------------------

That Saturday morning, Zoro awoke so early, that it was barely light outside. He peered through the bars on his bed, watching the beautiful calico explore the room beyond. He was so excited about his date that he wanted to get up, get out of bed, but his paralysed body wouldn't let him. So instead, he pretended that he was a tiger at the zoo, looking out at the world beyond the bars of his cage.

"Kitetsu," he spoke quietly. "Kitetsu!" The cat's ears pricked at hearing her name, and she turned her head to stare at her human. "Yeah, come here, girl." Zoro smiled as he stuck his hand through the bars, beckoning to the cat with fingers that no longer worked properly.

The long-haired calico trotted quickly up to Zoro's bed, jumping up and into it. She moved to Zoro's face, purring and rubbing her own against his. "I love you too," Zoro said, smiling.

She lay down next to Zoro, licking the inside of his wrist. A bubbly laugh emitted from her human, and he spoke. "That tickles, Kitetsu!"

"I'm only gonna share this with you," he said as he began to pet the cat with the heel of his hand. "I'm so excited! Today is the day I go out on a date with Luffy! I just hope I don't screw things up for him..."

Kitetsu crossed her paws as she lay there.

"Yeah, that's it. Keep your paws crossed for me. Okay?"

Kitetsu began licking Zoro's wrist again. He laughed.

\--------------------

Luffy pulled on a pair of khaki cargo shorts and a royal blue tank. Using one hand to grab his hat, he set it firmly on his head. Having gotten dressed, he walked to the kitchen for something to eat.

He made himself two eggs, five slices of bacon, and a piece of toast. Even though he'd lived in Japan nearly his whole life, with a some time out of the country every now and then, he still never really cared for what constituted a Japanese breakfast. Bacon, eggs, sausage, and the like were more his thing.

He gobbled down everything and wiped his mouth. After washing his hands, he quickly brushed his teeth. He picked up his keys and the backpack he'd packed the night before. Walking outside the door to where his flipflops were, he slipped them on, then locked the door, heading down to his car.

\--------------------

Walking into Zoro's room, Kuina wasn't too surprised that her brother was already awake. "Morning Zoro. Up bright and early, huh? Were you waiting long?" she asked, yawning.

A smile lit up Zoro's face. He was more than eager to get out of his bed. He'd been staring at the bars forever, and it was beginning to seem more and more prison-like the longer he was forced to stay there. "Hours! Let me outta here!"

"Don't you think we should wait for Luffy so he can help me get you dressed?" She asked, sitting in the chair next to Zoro's bed and removing his oxygen mask.

"No. I wanna get out _now_ ," he said, almost whining. "Please? It's like I'm in a cage."

"I suppose since I'm here to watch you, there's no harm in letting down the railings," she said as she moved to do so.

"Thank you!" He said once he was freed. Just then, they heard a knock on the door, then the jingling of keys in the lock. "He's here!" He whispered excitedly to Kuina.

Kuina was astounded. The last time she'd seen her brother this happy was before the accident, when Sanji had been alive. 

"Hi Kuina!" Luffy said to her as he walked into the room, then, "Zoro~!" And he came over to hug him.

"You can help Zoro get dressed while I cook something for breakfast, okay?" She said, as she got up, heading toward the kitchen.

"Okay~!" He turned to Zoro. "Whaddaya wanna wear today?"

Zoro looked Luffy over. "Same thing you're wearing, but in green and dark grey."

Luffy smiled, heading for the closet. He sifted through the hanging clothing. "I see a green tank in here that says "Nacho" in yellow letters. Is that the one you want?"

"Yeah, that's the one," Zoro said from where he was in the bed.

Luffy also pulled out a pair of dark grey cargo shorts, and a pair of slip-on flip flops. 

"Not the flip flops, the boots," Zoro said.

"But it's s'posed ta get really warm today," Luffy informed him. "Like 23 or so."

"That's not warm enough for me to give up my boots," Zoro said smugly. "Now come _on_! I wanna get outta bed!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Luffy said, gathering the clothing in his arms. "Hold on." He walked over to the bed, putting the clothes down in the chair. He rolled Zoro onto his back, then slowly rose the head of the bed until he was sitting up. He then proceeded to dress Zoro. Helping him into his chair, he strapped him in securely before putting on his socks and boots. "What's 'Nacho' mean anyway?"

"A food of some kind. Sanji would've known," Zoro said, then took a deep breath to soothe the knot in his stomach that formed at the thought of Sanji.

Luffy squeezed Zoro's shoulder. 

Zoro took a deep breath again. "I'm alright. Thanks though."

"Come on, let's get some breakfast," Luffy said, as he led Zoro out of the room.

\--------------------

"You boys are dressed alike today," Kuina commented, stirring a pot of miso soup. 

Luffy, sitting at the table next to Zoro, said, "Smells really good!"

"Thank you!" She knew that Luffy had probably eaten at home, but was happy to feed him anyway. "It's an old recipe passed down by our late grandmother. Zoro loves it."

"Yeah, grandma made the best miso soup ever!" Zoro said smiling, then added, "Second to Kuina anyway," when she glanced over at him.

There was a little stovetop grill with three small, whole fish quietly sizzling on it, and a nearby rice cooker pinged that the rice was done. Kuina grabbed a pair of tongs, taking the fish off the grill. "Breakfast is ready!" She said.

Kuina sat down, and after a short round of "Itadakimasu", they began to eat. Usually Kuina fed Zoro his breakfast, but she allowed Luffy to do so this morning. 

"So where do you plan on taking Zoro today?" Kuina asked.

Luffy looked sidelong at Zoro, "It's a surprise!"

"Awww," Zoro said with mock disappointment.

"Come on, boys, eat up!" Kuina laughed. "It's almost time for you to go!" 

\--------------------

Kuina helped Luffy get Zoro into the van, then going into big sister mode, she told him, "Zoro is my Precious Little Brother, as you well know. Try to have him back by ten at the latest, okay?" She smiled into the back where Zoro sat. "Have fun on your date, Zoro!"

\--------------------

"I..." Zoro started, then shook his head, trying to put the thought out of his mind.

"What's wrong, Zoro?" Luffy asked, glancing into the rearview mirror as he drove.

"Nothing..." Zoro sighed. "I... I just wish I could sit up there next to you," he said haltingly.

"Don't worry," Luffy told him. "We'll be there soon, and we can be next to each other then." He smiled.

"Where are we going?" Zoro asked, craning his neck to see ahead from behind Luffy's seat.

"We're going to the petting zoo!" Luffy said over his shoulder, grinning.

\--------------------

Parking the van, Luffy helped Zoro get out. After paying admission, they went in, looking around at all the different animals they could see from their vantage points. In one part of the zoo, they had animals like elephants, rhinos, and hippos, and in another part, there were big cats like lions, tigers, and leopards. There was also a bear section, a section for hooved animals, and sections for marsupials and birds.

Luffy held a map of the layout of the place in his hands. "The map says the petting zoo is this way." He pointed ahead of him, indicating for Zoro to follow.

When they got to the petting zoo area, they looked around at the goats, sheep, rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets, water birds and other small animals.

"Look Zoro!" Luffy stooped down, picking up a brown and yellow duckling, and placed it into Zoro's lap. "Look how fluffy he is! It's like your hair!"

"Is not," Zoro said as the baby duck nibbled and nipped at his fingers as he tried to pet it. He smiled. "I think he likes me."

Luffy, who sat on a bench directly across from Zoro with a ferret in his arms, said, "He does!" The ferret nuzzled Luffy's cheek with its tiny pink nose.

Zoro imagined himself doing that to Luffy, and his face immediately went red. He hoped Luffy didn't realize what he was thinking. 

"Is something wrong, Zoro?" Luffy asked, stroking the back of the ferret he held. "You face is all red."

"N-no," he stammered. "Just hot, is all."

Luffy laughed. "You shoulda worn sandals!" 

"What's that have to do with my face?" Zoro shouted, annoyed, frightening the duckling a little. Looking down, he petted the duck gently. "It's ok. Luffy didn't mean to scare you."

Luffy laughed again. After settling down, he paused a moment, before saying, "I'm gonna admit something, and I hope I don't freak you out, but..." He looked Zoro in the eye. "I like you. I mean, as more than a friend."

Zoro's good eye widened. Kuina had been right.

Luffy continued, starting to fidget with his hands. "I've liked you ever since I first met you." 

"But why?" Zoro asked, perplexed. "I mean, look at me. I'm not at all like I used to be." He felt as if he were a shell of the man he once was, and while he liked Luffy too, he couldn't really see why Luffy would like him back.

"If you mean how you got messed up in that accident, I don't care about that. It was something else about you that drew me to you, not that you're not attractive, 'cause you are, it's just that that wasn't the first thing I saw in you."

"Yeah, but... I can't walk or do anything I used to do," Zoro sighed.

"That other Zoro, the one with two eyes, the one who could walk, the one who could do parkour... That Zoro isn't the Zoro I fell in love with. This Zoro," He placed his hand on Zoro's chest. "The one in the powerchair, the one who sleeps in a bed with bars, the one who depends on others to see to his needs. That's the Zoro I fell in love with. The Zoro I know is kind, outgoing, intelligent, fun to be around, and has a great personality. He's also attractive to boot. What more could I ask for?"

Zoro looked down as he placed his palm over the scar where his eye used to be. "I'm not as attractive as I once was..."

"Going by the way you looked then, I'd say you're more attractive now," Luffy said, revealing his honest thoughts. 

Zoro's good eye widened. Puzzlement graced his youthful features. "Huh?"

"Your scar makes you look really cool."

Zoro's eyebrows raised.

"It kinda makes you look like a pirate, and pirates are cool!" 

Zoro let out a small chuckle at that. Maybe his scar wasn't so bad. Luffy did like pirates after all.

Luffy continued, "Anyway, you've been through so much, and have become much stronger for it, and that's one of the many things I admire about you."

Zoro went red in the face again. He'd had no idea that Luffy felt that way. A shy smile graced his face. "I like you too... As more than a friend. What I like most about you is your confidence, and you never let anything get you down. You care for my needs, not because you have to, but out of the goodness of your heart, and that means a lot to me."

Luffy's face lit up. "I do it because _you_ mean a lot to _me_!" He was quiet a moment, and when he looked up again, his face had taken on an uncharacteristically soft appearance. "Anyway... since I like you and... you like me... Does this make us... boyfriends?"

Zoro thought a second, then smiling, said, "Yeah. I think it does!"

To say that Luffy was happy would have been an understatement. He was ecstatic! He threw his arms around his new boyfriend. He didn't care whether anyone was watching. He asked with slight hesitancy, "Can I... kiss you?"

Zoro placed his arms around Luffy, and pulled him closer, giving him a small, affectionate peck on the lips, before initiating a slightly longer kiss. He was pleased that Luffy seemed eager to kiss, and was not at all shy about it.

After a few more seconds, they broke the kiss. Luffy became aware of other people watching, but they didn't seem to care that there were two guys kissing each other in the middle of a petting zoo. Zoro on the other hand, blushed and shied away in the cutest manner he'd ever seen from Zoro. Luffy asked, "Hey Zoro, you hungry?"

"A little," Zoro answered; hand on his belly. "Want to go to that new yakiniku place down the road?"

"Yeah! I love yakiniku!" Luffy exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. A tinkling sound emitted from his pocket.

"I know," Zoro replied with a grin. "That's why I asked."

"Shishishi," Luffy laughed as he reached into his pocket to grab his phone. Seeing that it was Usopp calling him, he swiped the answer icon on the screen. "Luffy here!"

"Hey, where are you guys?" The voice on the phone asked.

"At the petting zoo," Luffy replied. "We're just about to go have lunch."

"How about you come over here where we are?" Usopp asked. "That way, Zoro can meet the rest of us!"

"Where are you?" Luffy asked, as he gently put down the ferret he'd had in his lap. 

"We're at that new yakiniku place down the way from where you guys are," Usopp told Luffy. "We haven't been seated yet, so we can wait for you two."

"We were just getting ready to head down there for lunch!" Luffy exclaimed. "It was actually Zoro's suggestion."

"Well, come on over! We'll wait for you!" Then he hung up.

"You hear that Zoro? The rest of the gang are at the yakiniku place! We can join them there!" 

Now that Zoro knew that Luffy's other friends would be there, he started having second thoughts. "I dunno..." He said, holding the duckling in his arms.

"You're worried about what they'll think when they see me feeding you," Luffy guessed, and by the expression on Zoro's face, he'd guessed correctly. "Don't worry, they won't care. They just want you to have fun. So let's go over, and you can meet them, okay?"

Zoro stayed silent and didn't move.

"If you don't wanna go, I can call Usopp and tell him you've changed your mind," Luffy cajoled, rubbing Zoro's shoulder, and trying to hide any disappointment he felt. "We can go somewhere else to eat. Do you wanna do that?"

Zoro was silent. Just when Luffy thought that he was going to say he didn't want to go after all, Zoro said, "I'll go. I guess it couldn't hurt to meet your friends."

"Our friends," Luffy amended. He picked up the duckling and set it on the ground. "Let's go now. They're waiting for us."

Luffy took Zoro's right hand in his, moving hand in hand until they got to the van.

\--------------------

"You sure you still want to do this? We don't have to, you know," Luffy said, peering over his shoulder at his boyfriend after they got to the restaurant. 

"I'm sure," Zoro said, looking as if he were trying to gather his wits about himself.

"Okay then, you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Luffy helped Zoro out of the van, and holding hands, they went inside. 

\--------------------

It was a nice restaurant with plenty of good seating along the walls and in various areas of the floor. There were partitions between the sets of booths for privacy. 

"Oi, Luffy!" Usopp said just loud enough to get his attention. "Over here!"

Luffy turned to see his friends in the waiting area. "Oi!" He said as he waved happily with the hand that wasn't holding Zoro's. As he and Zoro moved over to them, he said sheepishly, "Sorry I'm late!"

"You're alright!" Usopp said to Luffy as he walked up to Zoro, putting a hand on his shoulder. Zoro's good eye took in each individual, wondering what their names and stories were. Especially the big burly guy in the hawaiian shirt with the... Were those _robot_ arms?? They were HUGE! How in the world did he carry them around?

Nami noted that Zoro was exactly how Luffy and Usopp had described him. She hadn't expected him to be so attractive though. Even with the scar, he still looked nice. She remembered wondering whether Luffy and Zoro actually liked each other, but the way Zoro held onto Luffy's hand, confirmed how he felt about Luffy. 

"Zoro," Usopp said as he moved to introduce him to everyone. He gestured to the girl with long, beautiful tangerine colored hair. She wore a pink halter top with white capris and sandals. "This is Nami." 

"Nice to finally meet you," Nami said, shaking his hand, smiling cheerfully. "We've heard a lot about you!"

At that, Zoro's face took on a slight tinge of pink. Even though he knew Luffy wouldn't have said anything bad about him, it was still embarrassing to be the center of attention. "Good to meet you too..."

Zoro noted that the black-haired woman next to Nami was a few years older than most of the rest of them, and she held in her lap a book on archaeolgy. Usopp continued his introductions. Gesturing to the woman and the man with the robotic arms, he said, "This is Robin and her boyfriend Franky." 

"How do you do, Zoro-san?" Robin said taking his tan hand in her slender one.

"Good to finally meet you, Zoro-bro!" Franky greeted him, engulfing Zoro's hand in his gigantic cybernetic one.

The gentleness of Franky's immense robotic hand surprised Zoro. He'd half expected his own hand to be crushed. 

Noticing Zoro's surprised expression, Franky commented, "I'm a SUUPPPEEERRR cyborg. I rebuilt my body after a run-in with a train. You like?"

"Yeah... But, how were you hit by a train?" Zoro asked amazed that Franky was able to live through something like that.

"I was working on the railroad when a car got stuck on the tracks. I tried to move it, but got hit myself in the process. I was so badly injured that I had to rebuild my body from scrap metal to stay alive."

"Wow..." 

Luffy smiled. It wasn't often that he saw that look of utter amazement on the green-haired man's face.

"This," Usopp said, gesturing to someone so young, he looked almost like a kid. "Is Chopper!"

Chopper was wearing a yellow and white striped tank, with orange shorts. On his head sat an enormous blue, white, and pink hat with a pink brim. The hat was so brightly colored, it reminded Zoro of candy. Zoro smiled as he remembered what Usopp and Luffy had said about the boy. 

"How do you do, Zoro?" Said Chopper politely in the cutest voice Zoro had possibly ever heard.

"I'm as good as I can be right now, I guess," Zoro said, smiling at the boy who inexplicably reminded him of a baby reindeer. He couldn't put his finger on why exactly though.

"It's really nice to finally meet you!" The boy said. "I hear that you don't like chocolate."

"Not at all," Zoro told the boy. "I'm not a big fan of sweets." The look on Chopper's face made Zoro chuckle. "I've just never been a sweets person. I do like Luffy's lemonade though."

"It's really good!" Chopper praised, regaining his composure.

Usopp gestured to the last nakama, and Zoro saw that he was a tall, lean man with a large afro, looking to be in his late 30's or thereabouts. "And finally, this is Brook." He nudged Zoro gently with his elbow. "His cane? It holds a hidden sword!" 

Zoro's whole face lit up. "Really?" He said to Brook, good eye twinkling. It was the first time Luffy had ever seen Zoro's eye twinkle. "Can I see?"

Why not? Brook thought as he unsheathed a bit of the gleaming sword hidden within his cane. "Just for you, Zoro-san!"

Zoro's good eye grew impossibly large and a fascinated grin broke out on his face as Brook gave him a glimpse of the sword. 

"I see you have an interest in swords," Brook commented as he slowly resheathed the weapon, much to Zoro's disappointment.

"Yeah! I practice kendo!" Zoro said happily, then his smile faded. "Or I used to, before the accident..."

"But you'll be able to hold a shinai again one day," Luffy assured Zoro as he rubbed his shoulder.

Just then, their group was called and they were seated. After ordering their drinks, they sat with menus in their hands. Everyone wanted to ask Zoro a question, and they all began talking at once.

"Wait, wait! One at a time!" Zoro said, holding up his hands. "So, what do you guys all do?"

Nami volunteered first. "I'm an accountant at the Miura Accounting offices downtown. What can I say? I love money, and working with it gives me life! What about you? Where'd you work before the accident?"

Zoro spoke quietly, "Actually, I used to work at the Baratie..."

Franky piped in, just then. "That's a really classy joint! Hard to get a job there. How'd you get it?"

Zoro's face flushed a deep red as he answered. "Sanji's father owns the restaurant... I got the job through him."

"Sanji's that guy who used to work there too, right? But then, there was that accident..." Franky trailed off sadly, remembering hearing on the news last year about what had happened to the young man. 

"Yeah..." He kept the tears at bay as best he could.

Luffy put an arm around Zoro's shoulders. "Zoro and Sanji were... close... Really close..." He said, not elaborating further. If Zoro wanted them to know more, he'd tell them. He gazed at Zoro, who had his head down. "Zoro?"

"He was... my boyfriend..." It was then that a single heartbroken tear slid down his face. As he slowly wiped it away, he looked up. Everyone had their eyes on him, but not a single judgemental face was seen. It was as if they understood. 

Taking a deep breath, he composed himself. Forcing a smile, he said, "Look at me. You guys were about to have a good time. Who am I to ruin it?"

"You're not ruining anything, Zoro-san." Robin soothed. "Losing a loved one is understandably upsetting."

The quiet chorus of "Yeah's", comforted Zoro, and his smile slowly faded until it had left his face entirely. "Still... We're supposed to be having fun, so don't let me spoil it for you."

Chopper spoke up then, "Well... um... I don't have an occupation yet, but I'm studying medicine. Being a doctor is my dream!"

Zoro cocked his head. "How old are you?" 

"Seventeen, but I've been studying since I was a kid. I wanna cure every disease in the world!"

At Chopper's words, a smile lit up Zoro's face once more, this one being genuine. "I think you'll be able to do it too!"

Chopper began clapping and waving his arms around happily. "That doesn't make me happy at all, idiot!"

Luffy jerked his thumb at Chopper, smiling. "He actually is happy."

Zoro smiled his own smile at Chopper. "I know."

"Luffy told us that you were a quadriplegic. It's incredible that you can move your arms." Franky observed.

Zoro explained, "The area of my spine that was damaged is lower down than normal, so I can still move my arms. My hands are almost useless though." 

This gave Luffy an idea. "Hey Franky! Can you make it so that Zoro can walk again?"

"If his inability to walk were caused by something other than a spinal injury, I could do it easily," The colorful cyborg explained. "But his spine has been badly damaged enough to paralyse him, so I don't wanna do something that might damage it further and cause more paralysis. I'm sorry Luffy, Zoro-bro."

Zoro sighed. He figured that with a spinal injury, not much, if anything, could be done. "Hey, don't worry about it, I understand. Thanks anyway."

Luffy squeezed Zoro's hand, giving him a reassuring smile. He said quietly, for Zoro's ears only, "No matter what happens, I'll be here."

After a few more minutes, Franky asked, "Is everyone ready to order?" as he put down his menu. After a chorus of affirmatives, Franky called the waiters over. Since it was a large group, there were two of them.

After they ordered their food, conversation once again turned to Zoro.

"Is your chair comfortable?" Chopper asked, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yeah, as much as it _can_ be, I guess, I just hate being strapped in," Zoro said, laying a hand on the harness that trailed down his shoulders and from underneath his arms, connecting with a zip in the middle of his broad chest. He looked down at the closed buckle on the waist strap, then back up before speaking again. "But I can no longer sit up on my own, so the straps are a given, I suppose."

"And it was a road accident?"

"Yeah," Zoro said simply, not really wanting to elaborate. His eyebrows furrowed as he withheld a sigh.

Seeing the look on Zoro's face, the others decided against asking him more questions about the circumstances of his accident. 

When the food arrived, everyone grabbed the provided tongs and placed the raw meat onto the grill, listening to the sizzle. The others watched amazed as Luffy cooked Zoro's meat to his liking, dipping it into the sauce bowl, feeding it to him before fixing his own. Normally, Luffy would be chowing down, eating his fill of his and everyone else's meals. But this time was different, and they wondered how Luffy was showing such remarkable restraint. Especially concerning meat. He really was in love.

At first, Zoro was embarrassed to be fed in front of the others. But then he noticed Robin feeding her boyfriend Franky, and he feeding her, and after that, he didn't feel so bad.

"Hey Franky, were you able to get 'em?" Luffy asked after Zoro had eaten his fill and everyone had begun to talk amongst themselves while they waited on dessert. 

"Oh! Yeah! They were hard to get though! These were the last two before they sold out!" The colorful cyborg spoke excitedly as Robin produced two rectangular strips of light blue paper from her purse, handing them to Luffy.

Luffy peered with wide, excited eyes at the strips which, from Zoro's vantage point, looked to be tickets. "Thanks Franky! Robin! Zoro's gonna love this!" He showed the tickets to his green-haired boyfriend. 

What Zoro saw made his good eye widen, just before a grin spread over his face. "They're tickets to the Regional East Blue Prefecture Kendo Competition! How'd you get these?"

"I have connections," Franky said elusively, grinning while pushing up his shades. "Anyway, the match starts at about two, so you have some time before you have to go."

"Thanks Franky!" Zoro said as Luffy put the tickets into a backpack that was hanging from his chair. "What do I owe you for this?"

"Just knowing that you'll have a _SSSUUUUUPPPEEERRR_ time there is payment enough!" The cyborg said as the waiters brought ice cream to the table for dessert.

\--------------------

"Goodbye Zoro!" Chopper said as he and the others bid farewell to Zoro and Luffy. "It was really nice to meet you!"

Zoro offered a smile at the boy as Luffy loaded him into the van again. "Good to meet you too."

They left amid a chorus of "Bye's" and "See you later's" from their friends. As they turned back onto the road, heading for the venue where the kendo matches were to be held, Luffy asked, "What do you think of your new friends?"

"I like them, they're great!" Zoro said excitedly. "Especially Chopper, he's cute. He reminds me of a reindeer though, for some reason."

"I know, right?" Luffy laughed. 

"You think so too, I see." Zoro smiled, turning his head to look out of the window. "When we get there, can you give me a drink of water? I'm parched."

"Sure!"

After a few more minutes, Luffy pulled into the parking garage of the venue. Finding a parking spot on the third level, he parked, going into the back of the van where Zoro sat. Fishing out a bottle of water from Zoro's backpack, he held it to Zoro's lips as the green-haired man drank his fill.

"You ready?" Luffy asked as he placed the bottle back into the bag.

"Yeah!" Zoro grinned happily.

\--------------------

Wheeling himself alongside Luffy inside the venue, Zoro looked around. "I haven't been here in forever," he said. "I've missed this place."

Luffy could imagine. Ever since he'd recovered from the accident, Zoro had lived in a nursing home. It was only in the last few weeks that he'd been out of the home, that he'd finally begun to live again. Feel human again. Luffy hugged Zoro. 

"You okay?" Zoro asked with concern on his face.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about how you were able to leave the nursing home and finally start living again, is all. Come on. Let's find where we're sitting." 

He and Zoro searched the seats and found the handicap section. Though Zoro felt almost embarrassed sitting there, he knew the seats had a good view

"I'm gonna go get us a drink. Want anything in particular?" Luffy asked as he got up from his seat.

"Maybe a large cola," Zoro told him.

"You'd do Franky proud!" Luffy said, ruffling Zoro's hair.

Zoro laughed, shaking his head. "Stop that! Just get our drinks, okay?"

"Okay!" He dug out his smartphone from his pocket, looking at the time. "It's a little after 1:30 now. I should have plenty of time to get back before the matches start. Be right back!" 

\--------------------

"Where've you been?" Zoro asked concrned. "I was about to come looking for you. Did you get lost?"

Luffy laughed at Zoro of all people asking if _he_ got lost. "No! The concession line was really long!" He sat down, placing Zoro's drink in the holder in his chair, and placing his own drink on the floor. 

"Alright," Zoro said, as the crowd quieted. "Shh, the matches are about to start."

Luffy nodded and turned to the floor where the first match was beginning.

\--------------------

Luffy was having fun. 

But he wasn't having fun watching the matches, he was having fun watching Zoro. Zoro was really getting into the matches, and it was amusing for Luffy to watch him. Although there was no scoreboard, he could tell that Zoro was keeping score in his head. 

Luffy turned his attention to the match playing out in front of him. The shinai each opponent held, clashing with each other. It was almost as if they were dancing as the opponents dodged and attacked one another. They were moving as though they each knew the other's attacks beforehand.

Luffy grinned. Were Zoro's moves once this beautiful and elegant? He tried to imagine Zoro out there on the floor fighting. Imagining Zoro moving with such wonderful rhythms and movements made Luffy's heart beat faster.

The last match which would decide the winner of the competition, took a considerable amount of time to be played through since both opponents were skilled at their craft. Luffy pretended that it was Zoro and Kuina who'd made it this far. 

After several more minutes, the announcer spoke again. Luffy and Zoro listened with rapt attention. 

"I think that Daz Bones guy is gonna win," Luffy whispered to Zoro.

Zoro shook his head. "Nah. Daz Bones is good, but Kaku's the one who's gonna win." 

Luffy gave Zoro a puzzled look. "But how do you know? They're both tied so far."

"Just keep watching."

Luffy turned just in time to see the opponent Kaku score a point against Daz Bones, breaking the tie and winning the competition. 

"See? I told you he'd win!" Zoro said, turning to Luffy. The excited look on Zoro's face told Luffy that he wasn't being condescending.

"How did you know he'd win?" Luffy asked as he got up out of his seat, preparing to take Zoro back outside to the van.

"When you've been involved in kendo for as long as I've been... you can sort of sense these things." Zoro said as Luffy took his hand in his.

As they filed out of the venue with everyone else, Luffy looked for where they left the van. "I feel like some ice cream. Wanna go get some?"

Zoro smiled as Luffy settled him into the van and clamped down his chair. "Yeah, why not?"

\--------------------

"What flavors do you want?" Luffy asked Zoro as they went up to the counter in the ice cream parlor. The flavors were written on the glass in front of them.

Zoro thought for a moment, then said, "Pralines & Cream sounds good. And so does Salted Caramel. Which one should I get?"

Luffy grinned. "Get both!"

"I only want one flavor," Zoro said. He though for a second before he decided. "I think I'll get two scoops of Salted Caramel."

"I'll get that, Butter Pecan, and Rocky Road, all in a waffle cone!" Luffy said as he ordered their ice cream. Getting Zoro's in a cup, he sat at a table.

Luffy balanced his ice cream in one hand while feeding Zoro his own with the other. "You having fun so far?"

Zoro grinned happily as Luffy spooned some ice cream into his mouth. "Yes! We should go to the park after this."

"Great idea!" Luffy agreed, licking his cone. "But I was thinking more of going to the movies, then to the park."

"Sounds like a good plan," Zoro told him. "What movie we gonna see?"

Luffy thought for a second. "They're showing the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie at Mikata Cinema. I love that movie!"

"Cause it's a pirate movie," Zoro said, swallowing a spoonful of ice cream. "But isn't that available on DVD?"

"Well, yeah," Luffy agreed. "But it's better on the big screen!"

"Good point, I have been wanting to see it for a while," Zoro said as he finished the last of his ice cream. "And I'd rather see it on the big screen. What time is it anyway?"

Luffy pulled out his smartphone, gazing at the screen. "Like a quarter to five."

"We should probably get going then." Zoro lead the way to the door as Luffy got up from the table.

Luffy pushed open the door for Zoro, letting him out, before exiting himself.

\---------------------

"I don't see why she had to burn _all_ the rum to save their lives," Zoro said as he and Luffy filed out of the theater after the movie was over. "One or two bottles would have sufficed."

"I'm not really a drinker but, I know, right?" Luffy said as he laced his fingers with Zoro's.

"Yeah," Zoro agreed. "Let's go to the park now. Maybe we can see the sunset."

\--------------------

"The park is beautiful this time of evening," Zoro said as he and Luffy lay on the grass of a small incline, on a picnic blanket they'd found in the back of the van. Zoro's head lay on Luffy's chest. "And it feels good to get out of that chair."

"I can imagine. You've been stuck in it all day." Luffy slowly ran cool fingers through Zoro's satiny, silky hair. It was so pretty and green. It smelled nice too. Luffy could lose himself in that citrus-y scent of his boyfriend's shampoo.

"Yeah, I have a love/hate relationship with that chair," Zoro began, laying his hand on Luffy's belly. In his ear, he could hear Luffy's slow, relaxed heartbeat. "When I'm in it, I feel like a kid in a carseat. I wish I didn't have to be so dependent on it, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Luffy moved the hand that wasn't in Zoro's hair behind his head. He couldn't imagine having to be completely dependent on a powerchair for transportation. 

"Anyway, since my stint in the nursing home, I really like being outside." Zoro closed his eyes, just as the last of the glowing orange ball crept behind the horizon. "And I like spending time with you. Lying here, relaxing, feels really nice."

"I like spending time with you too, Zoro," Luffy admitted. "Actually, I _love_ spending time with you. When I worked in the nursing home, seeing you was the only highlight of my day. I hated that place. Except for you." 

"Really?" 

"Yeah! You made working there bearable."

Zoro took a deep breath, letting it out, relaxing further. Luffy loved him the way he was. It was only now beginning to sink in. Luffy really loved him! His hand slowed in it's movements over Luffy's belly until they stopped entirely.

Luffy continued to message Zoro's scalp, every so often sniffing his beautiful green hair. As the sky darkened, the stars came out in their bright, twinkling glory. Luffy tried to figure out the constellations and their names, but soon gave up, just enjoying their beauty. "Hey Zoro, look! A shooting star!" He said quietly, then, "Zoro?"

Zoro peeled open a sleepy eye. "Yeah?"

Luffy laughed quietly. "You just missed a shooting star! You wanna pick up dinner on the way home?" 

"Yeah, or maybe just go to a sit-down restaurant," Zoro said, peering up at Luffy. He was really sleepy and tired by now, but he didn't want to ruin the end of their date for Luffy.

"Sounds like a plan!" Luffy said, sitting up. "Wow, it's getting cold tonight," He quietly said, gently wrapping Zoro in the blanket, and picking him up in his arms. Walking back up the incline, he placed Zoro into his waiting chair. 

"Ohh, that's tight," Zoro muttered, as Luffy strapped him into his chair with the blanket still wrapped around his body. His arms were free, but everything else was wrapped.

"Here. Let me just adjust this..." Luffy said as he adjusted Zoro's chair harness to a looser position.

"Thanks," Zoro grunted, Luffy helping him get into the van.

"Italian okay, Zoro?"

"Yep."

With that, Luffy started the car and headed for Giovanni's Italian Restaurant. It was a restaurant he knew to be a good one.

\--------------------

"Whatcha wanna eat tonight, Zoro?" Luffy asked, perusing the menu.

Zoro let loose a jaw-cracking yawn. "Nothing in particular. Anything you wanna order'll be fine." He closed his eye.

Looking over at Zoro, Luffy asked, "You're really tired, aren't you?"

A slow shake of Zoro's head, eye still closed. "Mm... Not really..." He lied. 

Luffy thought a minute. "Wanna go home so you can get some sleep?"

Zoro opened his eye again. "Nope." He rubbed it. "I'm awake."

"Alrighty, but you'll let me know if you need to go home, right?" Luffy asked, just as the waitress came over to take their orders.

Zoro slowly nodded once.

"Hello, I'm your server, Hanako. What would you like to order tonight?" The waitress asked, smiling warmly at Luffy.

Luffy closed his menu, putting it down. "Two lasagnas with lots of Italian sausage. Also, can I get a refill on my drink?"

"You sure can! I'll be right back," she said as she wrote down the order and walked away.

Luffy fished the barbeque bib out of Zoro's bag, fastening it around his neck as he slept. When the waitress came back with the food and the drink refill, Luffy looked over to Zoro. "Zoro?..." Not only had Zoro fallen asleep again, but he'd crashed.

"Is your friend alright?" The waitress asked as she set the food in front of them.

Luffy nodded. "Him? Yeah, he's okay. Just had a long day, is all."

"I see," she said, smiling at Luffy. She set down a backet of garlic bread. "Well, enjoy your meals."

"Thank you, we will!" Luffy exclaimed, watching her walk away, then he turned to Zoro. "Zoro?..." Luffy shook his boyfriend. "Zoro?... Wanna eat?"

No response.

Luffy sighed, digging his phone out of his pocket and looked at the clock. 8:37. Zoro wasn't usually this tired at this time, but tonight he was tuckered out. He wondered if he'd made Zoro do too much today. He had wanted to do as many things with Zoro as he could think of, but now he regretted that decision. Zoro was tired, and it was all his fault.

Luffy flagged down his waitress. When she arrived at the table, he asked, "Can I get two doggy bags and the check?"

\--------------------

As Luffy drove back to the Roronoa residence, with a soundly sleeping Zoro in the back, his mind couldn't help but dwell on all the things they'd done that day. Thinking back, it wasn't really that many things, but it may have still been too much for Zoro. He wondered how he was going to broach the subject to Kuina. At this rate, Kuina would probably _never_ let him take her brother out again, at least, not without her being there to supervise. As Luffy well knew, she was extremely protective of Zoro.

Luffy sighed. The closer he got to the house, the more apprehensive he got. What was Kuina going to do? What was she going to say? He rounded the corner onto the street where they lived, turning slowly into the driveway. Turning off the ignition and getting out, he opened the back, unclamped Zoro's chair, and maneuvered it out of the van.

When they were at the front door, Luffy knocked to let Kuina know he was home before unlocking it. Entering, he spotted Kuina on the sofa, watching TV.

Seeing Zoro sound asleep, she said quietly, "You boys are home early. Looks like Zoro had such a good time, he's sacked out." She smiled warmly.

This still didn't make Luffy feel any better. "He's been asleep for a while. He couldn't even eat dinner he was so tired. We did a lot of things, and I probably shouldn't have made him do so much. I'm really sorry..."

"Don't worry about it," she said as she got up, going over to them. "He woke up this morning hours before he normally does, and he hasn't had a nap today, so that's probably why he's so tuckered out now. It's not your fault."

Luffy was relieved that Kuina wasn't angry. He handed her Zoro's unfinished food. "His dinner's untouched so we should put it in the fridge. Maybe he can eat it for lunch tomorrow."

Kuina took the food from Luffy, peeking at it. "Good idea. It'll taste better then too. Why don't you get Zoro ready for bed, and I'll be in there in a few minutes."

"Alright," Luffy said as he took Zoro to his room.

\--------------------

Luffy was covering his green-haired boyfriend with his blanket when Kuina came in. 

"Did you two have fun?" She asked, sitting in the chair, to watch her little brother sleep.

"Yeah, we did!" He managed to exclaim in a quiet manner. "We went to the petting zoo, and a kendo competition, the movies, the park... We had a lot of fun! And at the petting zoo, we officially became boyfriends!"

"That's great, Luffy!" She was happy that Zoro was finally beginning to move on with his life. "I think you'll make a wonderful boyfriend for Zoro. He's been so happy since he met you. My little brother's happiness means everything to me, and I know how much he loves you, so I want you to make sure he never has to cry or be sad ever again, okay?"

Kuina was putting a lot on Luffy's shoulders, but he agreed, because he loved Zoro. "Okay."

"Would you like to stay the night?" She asked. 

"Could I?" Luffy asked excitedly.

"You can sleep in here," she offered, getting up from her chair. "I have an extra futon you can use, and you can wear one of Zoro's tshirts."

\--------------------

"Goodnight Kuina," Luffy called as he pulled the blanket over his body.

"Goodnight Luffy. Thank you for taking such good care of my Little Brother," she said as she turned out the light. She left the door open a crack so that Kitetsu could go in and out.

When she was gone, Luffy put his hands behind his head, staring up at Zoro's ceiling. He was really happy he had a boyfriend. Particularly, the wonderful and beautiful Zoro. Then, on impulse, he threw back his blanket, got up, went to Zoro's bed, and kissed the sleeping man on his forehead. 

"I love you, Zoro."


	11. Guardian Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how to summarize this chapter, so I'll leave the chapter summary blank, for now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Conbini = Japanese convenience store  
> Qoo = Japanese fruit flavored drink
> 
> Anyway, I like how I wrote the end of the chapter, tho I'm not sure about most of the rest. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Zoro awoke the next morning to soft, gentle kisses from Luffy. He opened a sleepy eye, greeting his boyfriend with a smile. "Morning Luffy," he said in a voice thick with sleep. 

"Morning Zoro! Wanna get out of bed?" Luffy asked, knowing how much Zoro liked getting out of his bed-prison each morning. 

"Yes!" Zoro said, smiling beneath his oxygen mask.

Luffy removed the mask, sitting Zoro up. He pulled down the railings on his bed, then readied Zoro for his bath. 

\--------------------

"Kuina?" Zoro asked as he sat in his special bath chair while his sister bathed him. "I had the best time yesterday! Except... I think I fell asleep, 'cause I don't remember anything after we got to the restaurant."

"You did fall asleep, Little Brother," She said, scrubbing his back. "Luffy brought you home and put you to bed. You didn't even get to eat anything, you were so tired."

"I don't remember that either," Zoro said as she moved to his arms, scrubbing them. After a pause, he said, "I'm so happy I met Luffy! He makes me feel so... alive!"

"I know you are! Look at how you're grinning!" She said as she finished his arms and moved to his legs. "You've never grinned like this before, not even when you were with Sanji."

Zoro's grin faded. "Sanji..." Thinking about his deceased former boyfriend made tears well up in his eye that threatened to spill over.

Kuina took her little brother in her arms, holding him close, ignoring the wetness of his skin that was seeping through her clothes. "I know you still love Sanji, and don't want to forget him, but it's okay to move on with your life. I know Sanji's death hurt you to the depths of your soul, but he threw his arm out to protect you for a reason. He loved you and wanted you to live, to be happy again one day."

Zoro sniffed, wiping at his eye as she continued to hold him. "I know... It's just that... these days, it's like I _am_ forgetting him."

Kuina pressed a kiss to Zoro's forehead. "Remember, you're not forgetting him. He'll always be in your heart. You're just moving toward a new future. A new future with Luffy. Luffy loves you just as much as Sanji did, and even if it isn't with him, Sanji would want you to be happy."

"I know..." Zoro said, wiping the tears from his face with the back of his hand. "It hurts... and I just miss him so much..."

"I know you do," Kuina said as she reached up to grab Zoro's towel from a rack, and began drying him off, hugging him as she did so. "I know you do..."

\--------------------

"Zoro~!" Luffy exclaimed, embracing his boyfriend as Kuina wheeled him out of the bathroom; towel around his waist. "I made breakfast for you and Kuina!"

"You made breakfast?" Kuina asked, wheeling Zoro to his room. "I _thought_ something smelled good."

"Yeah, I made it so you wouldn't have to!" Luffy said following. "I made it Japanese style too. Well, sort of... I made fish and rice. There's tamagoyaki too... But I didn't know how to make miso soup like you did."

"It's ok, I can make the soup later," Kuina said, taking a grey and white tee out of a drawer and pulling it over Zoro's head.

Luffy automatically went to the closet, grabbed some long cargo shorts, and began to help Kuina dress Zoro.

\--------------------

"This is really good, Luffy!" Kuina complemented; Zoro nodding in agreement as Kuina fed him a bite. "The tamagoyaki is perfect!"

"Thanks for helping me with the miso soup, Kuina," Luffy said, taking the last sip of his green tea. "I'm gonna get some more tea. Need anymore, Zoro?"

With steam still coming off the tea, Zoro hadn't drank much from his cup, but still he said, "Yeah, go ahead and top it off." 

"Coming right up!" Luffy said as he slid his chair back, grabbed the two cups, and got up from the table. Going over to the teapot in its cozy on the counter, he lifted the cozy from over the teapot, poured the two cups, then tried to make his way back over to the table. Unfortunately, Kitetsu walked into Luffy's path on the way to her water dish, causing him to trip, the cups flying through the air. Upon hearing several loud expletives coming from Zoro, Luffy jumped up, rushing to his boyfriend, realizing what had happened.

Luffy couldn't believe it. He had just burned Zoro's arm. His dominant arm. The burn looked pretty serious too, already beginning to blister with skin peeling in places. Luffy began to panic, getting a ziplock bag, opening the freezer and filling the bag with ice.

"Wait, Luffy! Not ice. Not for a burn like this." Kuina was outwardly calm as she held onto Zoro's injured arm, but inside she was freaking out almost as badly as Luffy was. She thought a second. "Wet a handtowel with some cold water. There's some in the fridge."

"I'll be okay..." Zoro hissed quietly through the pain, but they didn't seem to hear him. The intensity of the pain made him clench his teeth.

"We need to get him to the emergency room, pronto," Kuina said as she took the wet towel and carefully wrapped it around Zoro's burn.

"No, I'm okay," Zoro said, unclenching his teeth as the cold handtowel eased some of the pain from the burn.

"Here, hold this around his arm still while I get my things," Kuina said to Luffy who did as she told him.

"No!" Zoro said, loud enough to stop them in their tracks. Then in a softer voice, he said, "I don't need to go to the ER. I'll be fine, I just need a nap, is all."

Both Kuina and Luffy could see the pain he was in, though he tried to hide it. 

"A nap isn't going to fix this, Little Brother," Kuina told him. "The doctors at the ER can help control the pain and prevent infection from setting in. When we get back, then you can take a nap."

"But, I'm-" Zoro started, but Kuina interrupted him, giving him The Look.

"You've been badly burned, and it's a burn that could get infected if you leave it alone. You're going to the ER if I have to pick you up and carry you there myself!" She folded her arms. She hated to be so stern with him, but sometimes he could be so stubborn.

Zoro snapped his mouth shut, knowing that, as his big sister, Kuina would make good on her words. "Okay..."

"That's good," She said more gently as she went to get her things. "You need to go. They have ways to make you feel better."

Zoro sighed in resignation.

\--------------------

Pumped full of antibiotics and painkillers, with his arm swathed in bandages, Zoro quietly sat in his usual spot in the back of the van, gazing out of the window. 

Luffy hoped Zoro wasn't upset with him. He tentatively asked, "...What's wrong, Zoro?"

Zoro looked down at his bandaged arm. "It's nothing..." He sighed. "Just wanna get these off me, is all."

Luffy was relieved that Zoro wasn't angry or upset. "It'll be okay. It's just for a few days."

Zoro closed a tired eye. Maybe he'd feel better after a good, long nap.

\--------------------

"We need to put him to bed," Kuina said as she helped Luffy get Zoro out of the van. "Then you stay with him while I get his prescriptions filled."

"Alright..." Luffy said, heart apprehensive. "Do you think he's gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, he just needs to rest for a few days." Kuina sighed with worry for her brother that she kept well hidden. "Then he'll be good as new."

"I hope so."

"He will be. He always springs back."

Luffy only nodded. 

"Don't feel bad, Luffy. I saw what happened, and it wasn't your fault," Kuina said as she maneuvered Zoro's chair into the house. She put an arm around his shoulders. "Okay?"

"Okay..."

\--------------------

Luffy covered Zoro with his blanket, mindful of his injured arm. At least Zoro wasn't in pain right now, which relieved Luffy. He still felt bad though, he should've watched where he was going. 

He concentrated on making Zoro as comfortable as possible, adjusting his pillow, and tucking the blanket around him. Sitting in the chair next to Zoro's bed, he rubbed slow circles on Zoro's back. It was a activity that was just as comforting to him as he hoped it was for Zoro.

After several minutes more, Luffy slipped off his house slippers, pulled down the railing on the other side, and climbed into bed with Zoro, covering himself with the blanket. Pulling up the railing again, he lay down, sliding a protective arm around his green-haired boyfriend, pulling him closer. Kissing Zoro on his forehead, Luffy closed his own eyes.

\--------------------

Because of the long line at the busy pharmacy, and the wait for them to be filled, it had taken a while for Kuina to pick up Zoro's prescriptions. But now, she was finally on her way back home. 

"Luffy?" She called as she entered the house, closing the door. No answer. Wondering if he'd heard her, she made her way back to Zoro's room, opening the bedroom door. "Luff..."

The sight that greeted her, made her smile. 

They were facing each other as Luffy held Zoro in his arms. It was such a loving gesture, that it nearly brought tears to her eyes. The depth of Luffy's devotion to her brother was amazing. Maybe it was because Luffy had loved Zoro from the beginning? She really didn't know.

She decided that she would make them dinner for when they awoke, complete with homemade cookies. She moved over to the bed to tuck the blanket tighter around them, before leaving the room. 

\--------------------

A burning sensation in his left arm brought Zoro back into the land of consciousness. He registered that someone was in the bed with him after a few seconds. Then, as he opened a sleepy eye, he realized it was Luffy. Luffy had his arms around him, and he was still softly dozing. Despite the pain in his own arm, he slid it around Luffy, kissing him gently on the lips, once, then again.

As Luffy opened sleepy eyes, Zoro whispered a "good morning" to him, even though he was well aware that that time of day had long since passed. 

"Hey Zoro," Luffy whispered back, smiling softly at his boyfriend. Luffy's stomach rumbled loudly, letting him know that he had missed lunch.

"I'm hungry too," Zoro commented to Luffy. "Something smells really good."

"Yeah, like..." Luffy sniffed the air. "Beef curry rice and..." He sniffed again. "Peanut butter cookies for dessert!"

"Really?" Zoro held back a laugh. "I'm not sure what it is, but I'm pretty sure it's not that."

"No, it's curry rice!" Luffy insisted. "I just know it! You'll see!"

"Okay, okay," Zoro relented, holding up his hands. "I guess we'll see when it's done. Wanna get up?"

"Nah, I wanna lay here and hold you a little while longer." Luffy yawned, then snuggled further into the pillow he and Zoro shared. 

"Sounds like a plan," Zoro said, doing the same.

\--------------------

Kuina balanced the serving tray on one hand as she knocked quietly on Zoro's door before peeking in. When she saw that they were awake, she said, "Dinner's ready!"

"Yay!" Luffy said poking his head out of the blankets. Removing his arms from around Zoro, he grabbed the control for the bed and raised the head. 

"What is it?" Zoro asked, interest piqued. He wanted to see if Luffy had been right after all.

"Beef curry with rice, why?" Kuina asked. At hearing a snort of laughter coming from Zoro, Kuina looked to Luffy, confused. "Why's he laughing?"

"Cause I was right about what we're having for dinner," Luffy explained, grinning.

When Zoro caught his breath, he asked, "Are those peanut butter tcookies?"

"Yep, fresh from the oven!" Kuina said as she sat the tray down over their laps, then was confused again as Zoro broke into another peal of laughter. "Don't tell me you guessed the cookies too!"

"Yep!" 

"What time is it?" Zoro asked as Kuina sat in the chair beside the bed.

"About a quarter after 7," she said, picking up the spoon to feed Zoro. "You boys slept a long time. I picked up your medicine at the pharmacy while you slept. You'll need to take it after you're done eating."

"How long do I have to take the antibiotics for?" Zoro asked after Kuina removed the spoon from his mouth to scoop up more food.

"Twice a day for seven days," she said. "They gave you something for pain too." Before Zoro could object, she added, "That you're gonna take. You're not gonna be in pain just because you have too much pride to take something for it."

Zoro sighed, realizing that she was only nagging him about the painkillers because she cared about him. 

"I don't want you to hurt either, Zoro," Luffy said, mouth full. He swallowed before continuing, "You just have to take them for a few days, okay?"

He sighed again. "Okay."

\--------------------

Over the next few days, the pain in Zoro's arm seemed to worsen, not get better, and the burn didn't seem to want to heal. After a while, the wound began to show signs of infection, despite the fact that he was still taking the antibiotics.

One afternoon, as Kuina was preparing to redress his wound as usual, she noticed as she removed the older bandaging that Zoro's arm was swollen, hot to the touch, and the burn was oozing a thick yellow-ish substance. On top of all of this, he was developing a mild fever.

She swore inwardly. Despite making sure that he'd taken his antibiotics every day, as well as keeping his wound clean and covered as much as possible, he'd still managed to develop an infection. She'd even kept him indoors to try to prevent it from occuring. 

"It's infected, isn't it?" Zoro said, watching her try to clean the wound. He hissed in pain from her efforts.

"Yes, it is. It's _very_ infected," She said as she carefully wrapped up his arm. "You're going to need to go back to the ER."

"What? No! It'll be okay! It's just taking the antibiotics a little longer to work," Zoro objected.

Kuina gently poked his freshly bandaged arm. He hissed sharply again, jerking away the offended appendage. "That sounded like a hiss of intense pain, Little Brother. You won't have to stay there forever, just until they can get your infection under control with stronger antibiotics."

"I don't wanna go. Do I have to?" Zoro asked with pleading eyes.

Kuina wanted to relent, tell him he didn't have to go, but she knew that if she did, the infection would only get worse. "I'm sorry Zoro, but your arm needs medical attention. You need to go to the hospital. Will you do it for me?"

"Now you're sounding like Luffy. Oh gods, not the puppy-dog eyes!" He said as she began making them. "Okay, okay, I'll go. But can we stop for takoyaki on the way?"

"Of course!" She said, more that happy to oblige. "I'm going to call Luffy, and tell him to meet us at the hospital."

\--------------------

"Damn," Kuina swore as she started up the van. "I need to get gas. We don't have enough to make it there."

She pulled into the nearest gas station, and got out of the van to pump the gas. When she was done, and she'd pulled up to the entrance of the conbini, she then realized her problem. She had to go inside to pay for the gas, since this gas station hadn't had a way to pay at the tanks. Unfortunately, going in meant she either had to bring Zoro with her, or leave him in the van. She really hated to leave him anywhere alone, even if it was just for a few minutes. 

"Kuina? What's wrong?" Zoro asked, seeing her hesitate. 

"It's nothing, just thinking about something is all," she said, smiling at him so as not to make him worry.

Guessing her problem, he said, "It's only gonna take a few minutes right? I'm not an invalid. Go on in, I'll be fine."

She was about to object to his assertion that he wasn't an invalid, then she decided that reminding him of this would only upset him. Besides, what could happen in a few minutes? "Alright, but if anything happens to you..."

"I'm an adult, I'll be fine," he smiled to reassure her.

"Alright, I'll be back. It shouldn't even take five minutes," she said as she let down the windows (it was hot today), and got out of the van.

"Get me a peach Qoo, okay?" Zoro called after her.

"Sure thing!" She said as she shut the door, going inside.

\--------------------

Zoro sighed. He hoped it wouldn't take too long. His arm was aching, his fever was getting worse, he didn't really feel well today, and he didn't like hot weather. But then, he really had no choice but to wait. He closed his good eye, resting his head on his headrest...

He heard the driver's side door open. Had Kuina gotten back already? He opened his eye, and what he saw wasn't Kuina.

"Oi! Who are you? Get out!" Zoro shouted as he saw a strange man, around his own age, hop into the driver's seat. He apparently had a friend, who'd opened the other door and sat in the passenger seat.

The men turned around, looking surprised for a few seconds, then turned to each other with amused expressions on their faces. The first guy then turned back to Zoro, saying, "Dude, you ever been on a joyride?"

"No, I haven't, now get out!" Zoro growled. He actually had been on a joyride once, with Sanji, but he hadn't really cared for the experience.

"Well, today's your lucky day! You're going on one right now!" The second guy said enthusiastically as the man at the wheel pulled out of the parking space.

"No! Get. Out." 

The guy looked Zoro up and down, seeing only a guy strapped into a powerchair. "And how do you propose to make us? Hmm?"

\--------------------

As she walked into the store, Kuina's mind was filled with worry for Zoro, even though she knew he'd be okay. She went to the cold drink section of the store for the Qoo, then decided to get a couple bottles of water as well. 

As she finished paying for her gas and beverages, out of the corner of her eye, she saw her van backing out of the parking space where she'd left it. Grabbing her bag, she rushed out of the store shouting, "Wait! Come back! My _brother's_ in there!" She shouted as they drove off with Zoro in the back.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to decide who to call first. She then decided to call the police before phoning Luffy. "Hello?" She said as calmly as she could when they answered. "My van's just been stolen! And my younger brother is inside! He's a quadriplegic who needs medical attention! Yes... Yes... Okay, please hurry!"

Swiping the end call icon on the phone, she then dialed Luffy. It rang twice before picking up. "Hey Kuina, what's up? I'm here, looking for you and Zoro."

Kuina quickly and as calmly as she could, explained to Luffy what had happened to Zoro. 

Luffy couldn't believe his ears. "Stay right there. I'll be there within ten minutes." And he hung up.

\--------------------

As the van cruised down a road in the Japanese countryside, Zoro tried his best to free himself from his chair. He had to do something to stop these men. 

"What do you think you're doing?" The man in the passenger seat asked as he stood up and headed back toward Zoro. 

Zoro sensed what was about to happen. "No! Stay away! Don't touch me!"

He grabbed Zoro's arms, strapping them down to his armrests. "There! Now just sit back, shut up, and enjoy the ride!" 

"You can't do this to me! Take me back!" Even with all that was going on with him, Zoro still felt like he was making Kuina needlessly worry. Then he remembered the GPS in his chair. Maybe she'd be able to find him and get to him... if these guys would stop driving long enough.

"Take you back and get caught by the police?" The driver said. "You've got a really good sense of humor!"

"I'm not _trying_ to be funny," Zoro replied, jerking his good arm to try to free it. It stayed firmly strapped down. "Take me back _now_ , or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" The man driving taunted, laughing. " _Glare_ me to death? Face it. A cripple like you can't do anything."

Zoro struggled as much as could, then stopped after several minutes, the exertion making him tired. He had to stop them, but how? Was there really nothing he could do but sit there waiting for them to finish their joyride?

"Why do you have to struggle?" Guy #2 asked, turning in his seat to face Zoro. "We're not kidnapping you, so just relax and have fun. We'll be done when we're done."

"When I get out of here..." Zoro growled.

The two guys in front laughed, and floored it, causing Zoro's head to bounce back against his headrest.

\--------------------

All Kuina could think of as she rode in the squad car (Luffy was behind them in his own car), was how she should never have taken her eyes off Zoro, not even for a second. She could only hope that he was okay as the police car wound it's way around the city, and finally out into the countryside, following the GPS on Zoro's chair. It was a long while before the movement stopped for more than a few minutes, and they'd finally be able to track down Zoro.

"Okay Ma'am, provided they stay where they are, it should take us no more than a half hour to get to your brother."

Kuina took a breath to calm her nerves as the police car drove her toward whereever her brother was.

\--------------------

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Guy #1 said as he finally pulled the van to a stop in the middle of a rural area near a patch of woods. The hot sun shone brightly through the windows, making Zoro intensely uncomfortable.

"Yes, it was! You can take me back now!" Zoro said for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. Kuina must really be worrying about him. He hated to do that to his big sister.

"Oh, we can't do that. You can stay _right_ here," Guy #2 told him. "And if you're lucky, some passerby will find you."

"What! No! Don't just leave me out here!" Zoro shouted, fear welling up in his stomach.

"Then maybe you'll get lucky! Bye!" Guy #1 said, snickering as they locked and shut the doors to the van, leaving Zoro trapped inside. Zoro began to struggle again as the two men ran away from the van, soon disappearing from sight.

"Oi! Let me go! OI! Shit!" He swore aloud as he was left all alone in the van. After a few minutes, he stopped struggling, realizing that it was only making him hotter. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, running down after a few minutes. It was then that he realized that as hot as it was getting inside the van, if someone didn't find him soon, he would probably die. Strapped down in his chair, he couldn't even let down the windows. 

Several more minutes later, he realized that only his upper body at about his chest and up was sweating. Apparently, his body didn't sweat below the point of paralysis. A while later, it had gotten so hot that his head started to throb and his vision began to tunnel. The extreme oven-like heat made his stomach churn, and try as he might, he couldn't hold it in any longer. He turned his head as the contents of his stomach emptied onto himself and the floor. He closed his eye. The heat was making it hard to breathe now, every breath laboring, and he began to feel as if it were only a matter of time before he really _would_ die.

His biggest regret right now, was that he hadn't gotten to tell Luffy today that he loved him. He made up his mind that no matter how hot it got, he couldn't let himself die before he told him how much he loved him. He just couldn't.

Dizziness made him roll his head on his headrest which, thankfully, wasn't in the sun. His stomach churned again, and emptied itself onto the floor and all over his clothes. He'd stopped sweating a few minutes ago, and together with his extreme thirst, he realized that he was getting dehydrated. His mouth was so dry, he couldn't even wet his lips.

Taking in huge gulps of overheated air, he could feel his life ebbing away as the minutes ticked by. So it was a moment before his ears registered a knock on the window. His vision as he opened his eye, was blurred, but he could make out a head of blond outside the window. He then heard a familiar voice.

"Don't you _dare_ die on me, Shitty Marimo."

"... S...anji?..."

"Yeah, it's me."

"...Sanji... I..."

"Shh, don't try to talk. I've seen you with that Luffy guy, and I've seen how happy he makes you, so I'm here to make sure you don't die. I didn't save your life just so you could die like _this_."

Suddenly, Sanji was inside the van, sitting in the seat across from him.

"... ?..."

"I want you to be happy for a long time, Marimo, so you'd better not die."

"...San...ji..."

"Yeah, I just want you to be happy... Even if it's not with me."

Zoro vaguely remembered Kuina telling him something to that effect.

"It's too late for me, but you should be happy, so _live, Marimo_! _Live_ for _me_!"

"... Live..." Zoro muttered.

"Yes, _live_!"

"... _Live_!..." Zoro said more strongly. "...Wanna ... _live_!"

" _That's_ the way! Luffy and Kuina are coming now, so I'll see you around, Marimo."

And with that, Sanji disappeared just as Zoro heard another knock on the window. Looking up, he spotted both Kuina and Luffy, just before losing consciousness.


	12. Thank You, Sanji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro is in the hospital recovering from the events of the last chapter, and he thanks Sanji for saving his life a second time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing much to say here except, new chapters are coming in the next day or so!

In all the months he'd know her, Luffy had never seen Kuina cry. She was the level-headed big sister who never let her emotions get the best of her. She was the rock. Now though, he sat holding her as she sobbed uncontrollably. Zoro was lying, now asleep rather than unconscious, in the hospital bed beside them. 

"Oh Luffy... I should have taken him in with me!" Kuina said as she cried on Luffy's shoulder. "Because of my mistake, he could have died!" 

"What's important is that he's still alive," Luffy said quietly into her ear as he held her tightly. "You didn't make a mistake. You did what you felt you had to do at the time. What happened to him was a fluke."

She sniffed, trying not to wet his shoulder with her tears too much. "I don't know... After what happened, I feel like I'm not a good big sister to him..."

"That's not true at _all_! It wasn't your fault that that happened," Luffy reassured, rubbing her back the way she sometimes did to Zoro to comfort him. "And I see how you treat Zoro. You're a _great_ big sister!"

She pulled back a bit to look into his eyes, wiping at her own puffy ones. "You really think so?"

"I _know_ so," Luffy said, grabbing a tissue and handing it to her. "You treat Zoro better than some people treat their _real_ siblings. You treat him as if he _is_ your real brother."

"He's been in our family so long, he feels like he's my real brother," she said as she took the tissue, dabbing at her eyes and wiping her nose. "I love him so much. If anything were to happen to him... I don't know _what_ I'd do."

Luffy understood completely. For a long time after he'd lost Ace, he'd been devastated. For a while, he didn't know how he would live without his older brother. But over time, the pain of him being gone lessened, just a little. He huggged Kuina tightly. "Nothing's gonna happen to him. I'll make sure of it. I love him too, and I want him to be around for a good long time."

\--------------------

It was storming outside when Zoro awoke a few hours later. His head felt like it was about to split open, and the rest of him felt like utter shit. He hadn't felt this bad since that time he got plastered at a party with Sanji when he was seventeen years old. 

He slowly, so as not to jostle his head, followed the tube in his left arm to a bag hanging on a pole above him. There was an almost identical one attached to his right arm. He guessed that one may have been antibiotics, and the other something for hydration. There was an oxygen mask over his face, and he was covered in a light blanket. The room was air conditioned to the point of being uncomfortably cold, even to him, so he was grateful for the blanket.

Kuina was slumped in a nearby chair asleep, and the lights in the room were dimmed. Despite the low lighting, it hurt his head too much to keep his eyes open for too long. Distantly, he wondered where Luffy was as he closed his eyes again. 

" _I just want you to be happy. Even if it's not with me_..."

Zoro's eyes shot open. He looked around, trying to ignore his protesting noggin, for whereever that voice had come from. He then remembered being trapped inside the van, with its rising temperature, and then... Sanji.

He'd seen, and heard Sanji, as clearly as if he'd been alive, when he'd been about to die in that van. Sanji had kept him alive. Kept him alive until help could arrive. Zoro felt like shit right now, between the infection and the near heatstroke, but at least he had lived to see another day. He closed his good eye again.

"Thank you, Sanji..." he mouthed into the air. 

" _No problem... Zoro. Love you._ "

It wasn't often that Sanji called him by his real name, but when he did, it made him happy. 

His head hurt him so badly, that he involuntarily let out a small moan. Kuina was awake and at his side in an instant.

"Zoro? Are you ok?" She touched his arm. Despite the cool temperature in the room, his skin still felt very hot to the touch. They'd given him a cold bath earlier that day to cool his skin and bring down his temperature, but he still had a fever. 

"...Kuina?... I'm cold..." He said so quietly, it was almost a whisper.

Immediately, Kuina pulled up and tucked the hospital blanket around him. Pulling from a large, purple tote his fuzzy, yellow blanket from home, she tucked that around him too. 

"Look what Luffy brought you," she said as she pulled from the same bag, an mp3 player. "It has the lullabye music from the CD I made you when we were kids inside." She inserted the earbuds in the headphone jack, then stuck the buds in Zoro's ears. Pressing the 'play' button, she watched Zoro relax to the soothing music. 

"Thank you, Kuina..." Zoro said as his good eye closed of its own accord. Even with the dimmed lighting, his head was still pounding. What was worse was that any eye movement beneath his lids was torture.

"Your head still hurts, doesn't it?" Kuina guessed. At Zoro's slow nod, she dunked a cloth into a basin of ice water, squeezed it out, and gently, carefully, applied it to Zoro's forehead.

Despite the coldness of the room, the cloth on his skin felt nice. And while it didn't take away his headache or fever, it made the ache ease up some. 

Zoro cracked open his eye, looking to Kuina. "Where's Luffy? I haven't seen him since I woke up." He missed Luffy, and wanted him here with him.

"He was tired, so I sent him home to rest," she said. "He'll be back first thing in the morning. Believe me, he really didn't want to go, but I could see that he was exhausted."

Zoro wanted to ask her what had made Luffy so tired, but he felt so tired himself, that the question could wait until later. He let his eye drift shut again, and the music lulled him to sleep.

\--------------------

"Hey Kuina?" Zoro asked the next day as Luffy swabbed his forehead and face with another cold cloth. "What happened that day after I lost consciousness?"

"Well, we'd gotten there and Luffy was looking for a way to get into the van, since the doors were locked and the windows were up," Kuina told him. "I was the one who lobbed a rock through the van window. After we pulled you out, Luffy took you into a patch of shade made by some trees. I had a couple bottles of water that I tried to cool your body down with until the paramedics could arrive."

"You threw a rock through the window?" Zoro asked surprised, eyebrows shooting up, then knitting into a frown because the movement made his head hurt.

Kuina was astonished that out of all the things that had happened, that seemed to bother Zoro the most. "You almost _died_ , Little Brother. The destruction of the van window is the _last_ thing I'm worried about."

"Did the police catch the men who took our van?" Zoro asked as Luffy moved to his arms.

"Yeah, they were apprehended yesterday, while you were sleeping."

"That's good." 

"By the way, I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that you're alive!" She said as she hugged Zoro. "But... how were you able to stay alive that long? It took us a while to get to you after the van stopped moving."

"I... had a guardian angel... looking after me," Zoro said slowly. "He kept me alive... Wanted me to live to be happy with Luffy."

Kuina guessed who Zoro's guardian angel had been, and she thanked him profusely for saving Zoro's life a second time.

"How long do I have to stay here? I wanna get out of here and go home. I'm feeling much better now," Zoro lied. He actually still felt like shit, but felt that he could recover better at home.

"They were talking about keeping you at least a week to-"

"A _week_??" Both Zoro and Luffy exclaimed in unison, interrupting Kuina.

"But he's gonna miss my birthday party!" Luffy blurted out sadly. "And this is the first time he would have been there to help me celebrate!" 

"I know, but the decision isn't mine," Kuina said, hands tied. "If it were up to me, I'd pump you full of antibiotics, discharge you, and let you go to the party, but it's not my decision to make."

"I wanna go to Luffy's party..." Zoro gave Kuina puppydog eyes this time.

"I want Zoro to be there..." Luffy mimicked Zoro's face.

"I know," she said hugging Zoro and Luffy. "But it's out of my hands. There's nothing I can do." 

Zoro crossed his arms, eyebrows knitting into a frown again. "I hate being sick."

\--------------------

"Hey Zoro," Luffy said as he entered Zoro's hospital room. "Me and Usopp decided- Hey! Is that _Kool-Aid_?"

Zoro was lying in bed on his side under his blanket. He only had the antibiotic tube trailing from his arm now. "Yeah. They told me I couldn't have sake here. Gave me that instead. I hate it, so I saved it for you."

"Sugee!" Luffy said as he picked up the cup, guzzling the sweet, red liquid inside. It left a crimson inprint around his lips. "Anyway, me and Usopp decided that we'll postpone the party until you come out of the hospital and feel better."

"But that's means you won't be celebrating on your actual birthday," Zoro told him.

Luffy shrugged. "I'd wait the rest of the year if it meant you could come to my party."

"Uh... Thanks..." Zoro muttered, unable to think of anything else to say. Then he said, "Hey Luffy? Tell everyone I said thank you for all the get well cards. I really appreciate them."

"They were talking about coming up here tomorrow," Luffy said grinning. "You can thank them then. So... You still feeling sick from the infection?"

"A little, but I'm mostly just bored," Zoro admitted. "I wanna get outta here, or at least out of bed."

"I brought my laptop," Luffy said as he hoisted the bag containing it onto Zoro's bed. "Maybe we can go on YouTube and watch some videos?"

"That sounds great!" Zoro smiled. "We should watch some parkour videos. Get my mind off being here."

"My laptop is kinda old, so it doesn't always work great, but it'll let us watch stuff," Luffy said as he opened it and turned it on. After a few minutes, he said, "It's gonna be a minute before it finishes booting."

Zoro could see that the OS was an old one as well. At least two generations behind the current one. "How long have you had this laptop?"

"About 6 or 7 years," Luffy told him. Then it finished booting. "Okay, here we go." He pulled up the browser and went to YouTube. Typing in "parkour", he hit enter, seeing a list of videos come up. "Which one do you want to watch?"

"More than one actually. Hope you don't mind," Zoro said as he got more comfortable. "Let's just go down the list."

"Alrighty. Want me to sit you up?" Luffy asked.

Zoro shook his head on the pillow. "Nah, I'm fine. Go ahead and click play."

Luffy did as he was asked, and he was once again transported into the world of running, jumping, climbing, leaping, twisting, and turning known as parkour. The energetic motions were mesmerizing, and it made him want to try it. 

It was soothing to Zoro to watch the videos, even though parkour was something he could no longer do. After a while though, he was getting bored again, and said, "Jeez, I wanna get outta here..."

"I wanna sneak you outta here and take you home, but..." Luffy looked around. "There isn't even a wheelchair in here."

"How many more days do I have?" Zoro asked, yawning and rubbing his good eye.

"Five. I'm counting down!" Luffy exclaimed.

Zoro laughed. "Well count down faster. I really wanna get outta here." 

"And when you get out, let's have a sleepover at my apartment! After the party of course," Luffy said, bending down and kissing Zoro.

Zoro hungrily kissed him back. When Luffy pulled away, he said, "You live upstairs. I can't get up there unless there's an elevator. And even then, apartments here are not generally accessible. Not to mention, I need my own bed."

Luffy put a hand to his chin in a thinking pose. Then he had an idea. "What about having the sleepover at your house? With Kuina's permission, of course. You'll be able to sleep in your bed, and she can meet the rest of us!"

"Can I invite her to the party?" Zoro asked. "That way, she can get to know our friends there, then she may be more receptive to the sleepover being at our house."

"Great idea!" Luffy commended. "Kuina needs to have fun too sometimes."

\--------------------

"You wanna come to Luffy's party?" Zoro asked Kuina the next day, while sitting up in bed. "You can meet the rest of our friends. Also... can we invite them to a sleepover at our house? Actually, Luffy says they're coming up here to visit me today. You can meet them then. But we still want you to come to the party..."

"You sure are talkative today," Kuina commented, smiling. She combed her fingers through Zoro's green hair. "You must be feeling better."

"I am!" Zoro exclaimed happily. "I guess I'm not quite at 100% yet, but I do feel a lot better now."

"That's great!" She said. "I think that once I've met them, then yes, you can have your sleepover."

The happy grin that lit up Zoro's face would've rivaled Luffy's biggest grins, and it made Kuina happy.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Chopper, holding a grocery bag. "Zoro!" The boy ran to Zoro, hugging him. Zoro hugged him back. "I know you don't like sweets, and I couldn't buy any sake, so I brought you a box of different flavors of herbal tea." 

"Thanks Chopper!" He said as the boy placed the colorful box in his hands. Then he gestured to his sister. "This is my sister, Kuina. She's a kendou master. Kuina, this is Chopper. He's studying medicine."

"Hi Chopper, nice to meet you!"

The boy blushed pink. "Nice to meet you too!"

"Chopper, you should've waited for us so we could all go in together," Usopp said as he and the rest filed into the room. "Hey Zoro! How are you feeling?" He said as he handed Zoro a fruit basket.

"I'm feeling great!" Zoro said, "I just wish they'd let me go home already." He then introduced his friends to Kuina, who greeted each of them in a friendly manner, she being just as surprised as Zoro had been with how gentle Franky's hands were. 

Luffy walked in just then, carrying a small pink floppy-eared puppy plushie in his hands. "Four more days, Zoro! Hi, guys! I wasn't expecting you all till later!" He walked over to Zoro's bed, tucking the plushie in with him. He didn't miss the happy look on Zoro's face as he did so.

"So, Zoro," Usopp asked. "Any clue as to why those guys stole the van like that?"

"They were taking a joy ride, but apparently they didn't wanna get in trouble for stealing, so..." Zoro explained, picking up and gazing at the plushie in his hands. 

"Didn't they realize they'd be in even more trouble with the law by leaving you like that?" Nami asked

Zoro shrugged his shoulders. "They probably thought that no one would catch them. Anyway, on a lighter note, we can have the sleepover at our house when I'm discharged!" He turned to Kuina. "If that's still okay with you?" He said, trying to make doubly sure.

"Not everyone's going to fit in your room," Kuina said, thinking of the huge cyborg who looked like he'd need his own room. "Some of you will have to sleep in the living room. But yes, you can have your sleepover-" She stopped as cheers from the others erupted. When they died down, she continued. "-provided you pick up after yourselves and refrain from drawing things on Zoro's face should he fall asleep first." She said the last in a way that told the others she meant business. "Other than that, have fun!" 


	13. Happy Unbirthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Zoro gets out of the hospital, and Luffy has his birthday party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to mention in an earlier chapter, that since I don't know Kuina's last name, I made it match Zoro's. Hope no one minds

"So...How does it feel to get discharged two days early?" Luffy asked as Zoro wheeled his way to the van, with Kuina walking beside them.

"Good. Wish I'd gotten discharged in time for your birthday." Zoro said as Kuina helped him get inside. "I still need to get you something. What is that _smell_?"

"You got sick in here that day," Kuina said, not really elaborating as she got into the driver's seat. "The smell was stronger before. It should go completely away after a couple of weeks."

Zoro wondered who'd had to clean it up, but decided not to ask, fearing that he might not like the answer. 

"You don't need to have a gift for me, Zoro. Just your presence will be enough," Luffy said as he got into the front seat, pulling out his seatbelt and snapping it into place.

"Too bad. I already have something in mind." Zoro told him with a slight smirk. Then he turned to his sister. "Kuina, can you take me to the mall later?"

"You just got out of the hospital," Kuina told him as she backed out of the parking lot. "You need to rest for today. The party won't be for another couple days. I'll take you to the mall tomorrow."

Zoro sighed. "Okay..."

\--------------------

"So what do you plan to get for Luffy's present?" Kuina asked as Zoro she drove her brother to the mall the next day.

Zoro told her in detail what he wanted to buy.

"Well, for something like that, you need to go to an electronics store," Kuina told him. "I'll take you there so you can look around. How much are you willing to spend?"

"Dunno. Let's look at the prices first."

"Alright. I'll help you," Kuina said as she pulled onto the highway to take him to the electronics store. 

\--------------------

"Are you sure that this is the one you want to buy, Zoro?"

Zoro nodded. "Yeah, I hope he'll like it."

"I think he'll like anything you give him," Kuina said as the sales clerk went to get their item, while they paid for it. "Why'd you want to buy him one of these anyway?"

"His is getting old," Zoro explained, as Kuina tucked the sizable box containing the gift under her arm. 

"Something like this is probably more appropriate for a Christmas present," she said as they left the store.

Zoro though a minute, then smiled slyly. "He'll get something even better for Christmas."

"It's May. You'll have plenty of time to think about that," Kuina said, smiling warmly. "Is there anything you'd like to eat before we go home?"

"A chili cheese burger," Zoro replied without hesitation.

\--------------------

"You having fun, Zoro?" Luffy asked, coming over to his boyfriend, slipping a ham-and-cheese hors d'oeuvre into his mouth. They were holding the party at the local skating rink, and Zoro was in his chair moving around the floor with Usopp, Chopper, and Franky. 

"Yeah, it's been awhile." Zoro said as he chewed. He swallowed before continuing. "Sanji and I came here all the time. Maybe you and I can do the same." 

Luffy grinned from ear to ear. "Something to look forward to!"

Kuina and Robin were at a large table where there were all kinds of party food laid out neatly. There were platters piled high with sliders, the ham-and-cheese hors d'oeuvres, assorted sushi, onigiri, nachos with salsa and queso dips, pickles and kalamata olives, chicken nuggets with various sauces, and a fruit salad made with at least eight different kinds of fruit. In the center of all of this, was a huge rectangular sheet cake with white frosting trimmed in light blue, with ship anchors drawn around each side in a darker blue. It was decorated with a tiny treasure chest in the upper left hand corner, and a miniature jolly roger with a skull and crossbones wearing a hat that looked an awful lot like Luffy's on it, in the lower right hand corner. The middle of the cake said, "Happy Birthday, Luffy!" in a neat navy blue script.

There was another table on which were gift bags and wrapped gift boxes in assorted sizes and colors. Zoro's gifts were near one end of the table, wrapped in a simple green paper with yellow ribbon. Zoro had decided to purchase an additional gift the day after he'd gotten the first one, hoping that Luffy would like what he'd bought for him. 

"Hey! Did you pick a number from the box by the door?" Luffy asked as Zoro prepared to wheel his way off the rink. 

"No. Why?" He asked, going over to the food table to see what he could find to eat.

"There are gonna be prizes to win," Luffy explained. "But you hafta have a number."

Zoro thought for a minute. He really didn't want to play any games, prefering to leave that to the others. But then, Luffy would think he wasn't having fun, and he didn't want him to feel that way. "Okay," he said as he went over to the box, reaching in with his hand. There was one more folded up piece of paper inside that his fingers had trouble grasping.

Luffy trotted over to the box to assist his boyfriend. "Here, let me help you." He reached in, laughing when he realized that there was only one more number paper inside the box. He pulled it out, handing it to Zoro. "Don't look at it yet, it's gotta be a surprise!" He took the folded slip of paper from Zoro hand, and dropped it into a pocket on the backpack hanging from the back of his chair.

Luffy grinned, patting the backpack. "For safe keeping!"

\--------------------

All throughout the party, Luffy had shaken each gift when he'd had the chance, trying to figure out what was in each box or bag, but after games were played, prizes won, and everyone had finished eating, it was time for him to open his gifts. 

Going in alphabetical order, Robin gave Luffy Brook's gift, which was a small envelope, first. Luffy tore it open. He pulled out two tickets.

The thin man grinned. "With those, you can bring Zoro to my next concert!"

"Thanks Brook! Zoro's never seen you perform before!" Luffy said, knowing Zoro would be in for a treat.

Robin then gave Luffy Chopper's gift which was wrapped in a gift bag. Luffy neatly opened the bag and pulled out... "Different kinds of novelty candy from other countries! Thanks Chopper!"

"I couldn't think of anything really good this time..." The boy said as he hid his face under the brim of his hat.

"What are you _talking_ about? Candy is always good!" Luffy said as he was handed the next gift. He opened the large box, and what he saw in it gave him a Cheshire Cat grin. He pulled it out with both hands. "Meat-flavored cola!" 

At everyone's collective groans, Franky spoke up. "What's with the groaning? Do you realize how hard that was to even find? It's rare even here!"

Luffy laughed happily. "Thanks Franky! When me and Zoro drink it, we'll think of you!"

"No, no, it's all yours!" Zoro said, holding up his hands, wanting no part of cola, especially meat-flavored.

Next up was Nami's gift which was in a nicely decorated envelope. "Ooohh! A coupon book and gift card to Namaha Steak Company! I've always wanted one of these!"

"Yeah, just go to the website and order what you want!" Nami told him. "I think you can even order lobster tails."

"Thanks Nami!" Luffy grinned, as he was passed the next gift. 

"An encyclopedia of different kinds of meats!" He flipped through the book. "It shows different types and cuts! Thank you, Robin!"

Robin handed Luffy the next gift which was from Usopp. The box it was in was lightweight, wrapped in a yellow paper with a slingshot print.

Unwrapping it, Luffy opened the box. "A shank of meat plushie! Thanks Usopp! Where'd you find something like this?"

"I found it at that new store at the mall! I thought you'd like it!" Usopp grinned.

"I love it!" Luffy exclaimed, receiving in his hands the next two boxes. Both were flat, one a lot larger than the other, and the bigger one had some weight to it. Luffy quickly removed the wrapping paper; his eyes widening at what was inside. "Zoro..."

It was a laptop and an external hard drive. 

"The ones you have now are pretty beat-up," Zoro explained. "I thought you could use a new set."

"I love them! I can't wait to try them out! Thank you so much, Zoro!" Luffy said as he hugged and kissed his boyfriend.

The others marveled at the wonderful gifts that Zoro had given, wondering if they should have gotten Luffy something more practical. Robin helped the others with loading the presents and party remnants into Luffy's car. Then they swept up and cleaned, before heading to Kuina and Zoro's residence.

\--------------------

After they'd all had showers and and dressed in their pajamas, they'd ordered pizzas and cola. 

"You have a nice home, Roronoa-san," Nami said to Kuina, looking around the living room.

"Thank you!" Kuina replied. "And, please, call me Kuina."

"You enjoying being twenty?" Zoro asked Luffy. Then he remembered that it wasn't actually Luffy's birthday anymore. "Well, I guess it's not actually your..."

Luffy sat on the sofa with a blanket-wrapped Zoro lying with his head in his lap. Luffy's fingers were in Zoro's soft, fluffy hair. "Hey, it's okay. You can't help what happened to you. Anyway, it's really good so far. This is my first time celebrating with you in my life. Your birthday comes up in November, doesn't it? I wanna do something really special for you."

Zoro closed his eyes, relaxing to Luffy's ministrations. "Don't force yourself. Just you being there is enough."

Luffy sat Zoro up enough so that he could plant a kiss on Zoro's lips. "I'm happy that Sanji was able to save your life. Though, I wish I could've met him."

"I wish you could have too."

Just then, Nami called over from where she was sitting on the floor, "You two wanna play Spin the Bottle?"

Luffy looked down at Zoro who simply shook his head. He looked back up at Nami. "Nah, we're good!"

"You're gonna play Truth or Dare later though, right?" She asked as she lay an empty sake bottle Kuina had given her down on the floor.

"If Zoro feels up to it, sure!" Luffy replied. Turning his attention back to his boyfriend, he asked, "Wanna play later?"

Zoro thought a moment. "Sure, if you want."

"Want some meat pizza?" Luffy asked with a smile.

"Sure!" Zoro said, smile in his voice. He relaxed on Luffy's lap, closing his eye.

Luffy chuckled lightly. "Alrighty! Don't fall asleep before I get back now!" As he moved, he placed a pillow under Zoro's head.

"I won't," Zoro said, eyelid sliding closed again.


	14. Second Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy and Zoro go on a second date. While on that date, they go to a park, where they meet children who want to play with Zoro. One of the children gives Zoro an unwanted gift

Zoro awoke with a start. 

By the look of the light peeking through his curtains, it looked to be around 6 am or so in the morning. Noting that he was in his bed in his room, he realized that Luffy's arms were around him as the younger man held him in his sleep. 

Zoro's stomach let out a loud rumble, and he sighed. Because he'd fallen asleep when he'd said he wouldn't the night before, he hadn't gotten any pizza to eat, so now, he was hungry. He wished that he had the ability to go to the kitchen and get himself a nice bowl of cereal. But then, he hadn't had cereal in so long, he didn't even know what was in the cupboard. 

Just then he felt an itch in his nose, and try as he might to stifle it, he let out an explosive sneeze.

"... mmh..." Luffy cracked open eyes heavy with sleep. "...Zoro?... You okay?"

"Just a sneeze," Zoro told him gently. "Try to go back to-" His stomach let out another angry growl, and his face flushed with embarrassment. "-sleep..." 

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Luffy said, waking up a bit more. He couldn't rightfully go back to sleep when his boyfriend was in need of food. 

"It's okay. I can wait," Zoro said, still blushing.

"No, it's _not_ okay," Luffy said, pushing back the sheet and blanket. "C'mon, let's get something in your stomach."

Luffy pulled down the railings on the bed, getting Zoro up and into his chair. They then quietly made their way into the kitchen. 

As Zoro sat himself at the table, Luffy rummaged around in the refrigerator, asking him what he wanted for breakfast. "Actually," Zoro replied. "Cereal sounds good. It's been a long time."

"I brought some from home yesterday evening," Luffy said, as he went to go get the box out of the bag he'd brought. When he came back, he exclaimed, "Frosted Sugar Bombs! We can eat them together!"

"Frosted Sugar Bombs?" Zoro asked, wrinkling his nose. "There's no meat in it, right?"

"Meat? No! It's just normal cereal!" Luffy said, wondering why Zoro would think there was meat in it.

Zoro sighed in relief. "That's good..."

"Whatta ya got against meat?"

"Nothing! I just don't want it in my cereal!" Zoro said, wondering how he was going to like a cereal with "sugar" in its name.

Luffy fastened the barbeque bib around Zoro's neck, then poured the cereal into two bowls. Getting two spoons, he got an idea. Rummaging again, through a drawer this time, he found a roll of duct tape.

"What are you doing?" Zoro asked, watching Luffy. 

Luffy grinned, coming back to the table. "I'm gonna help you feed yourself today! I know you wanna be able to again! I'm gonna help you! You're a lefty, right?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Zoro began, as Luffy put the spoon in his hand, folding his fingers around it. When Luffy started taping it into his hand, he understood what he was trying to do, but it didn't stop him from objecting. "W-Wait a minute, Luffy! You can't-"

"All done!" Luffy stood back, admiring his handiwork. "Alright, I'mma get the milk!"

After Luffy poured the milk into Zoro's bowl, he gently guided Zoro's hand as the latter man began to try to eat on his own for the first time since he'd awakened from his coma.

"Huh. It's good," Zoro said as he ate. It was a bit messy, since his hand still didn't work well, but all-in-all, he was doing fairly well.

Luffy laughed. "It is, isn't it? How does it feel to finally be able to feed yourself for a change?"

"It's great!" Zoro replied happily. "Now if only I could walk."

"And do parkour!" Luffy exclaimed.

"And do parkour! Wow..." Zoro admitted as he thought back to before the accident. "So, what's the plan today?"

"Well, we need to clean up the living room. Thankfully, it's not too messy," Luffy replied. They had kept things reasonably clean out of respect for Kuina. "After that... I can't think of anything to do today."

"The pool... no, no point when I can't swim," Zoro lamented, scooping up his last spoonful.

"Aren't you gonna drink your milk?" Luffy asked, gazing down at it.

The milk in his bowl was nearly room temperature now, and he really didn't want it. "No. Do you want it? Sanji always hated wasting food."

"Since it's milk, Brook would have a word with you about it too," Luffy stated as he picked up the bowl and drank from it. He didn't miss the way Zoro cringed at the sight. "Anyway, it's a shame you can't go to the pool anymore, especially since it's gonna be hot today too. We got hot days early this year."

"Yeah. It's like July came early, though winter was cold as always,"Zoro said, thinking. "This one year, it wasn't very cold at all. That was annoying."

Luffy smiled. "You really like cold weather, don't you? I'm more of a warm weather guy, but I do love snow."

"Me too." Zoro smiled, then his brow furrowed. "But Kuina might keep me inside in winter, especially if it snows. The nursing home never let me outside in winter, either." 

"They probably didn't want you getting sick," Luffy put in. "I don't think Kuina does either. She's really protective of you, especially with how you are now. Ace was like that with me, I guess it's just a big sibling thing."

"Yeah, but I'm twenty one," Zoro said, staring at the spoon taped into his hand, wondering how he was going to get it free again.

"Doesn't matter how old you are. It's their job as big siblings to be protective of us," Luffy said as Kuina herself walked sleepily into the kitchen where they were.

"Good morning, you two," Kuina greeted brightly. "I got up cause it was almost time to feed Zoro, but it looks as if that's been taken care of..."

"Good morning! Guess what?" Luffy said happily, holding up Zoro's hand that still had the spoon taped into it. "I helped Zoro feed himself!" Zoro's face flushed.

Kuina smiled, setting up the coffee pot to brew a large amount. "That was a good idea. I never thought to try that. But next time, maybe use something other than tape, okay?"

"Okay."

"Oh, by the way, Usopp and Chopper are videoing you two with their phones," Kuina said grinning, getting things out to make breakfast with.

Luffy and Zoro whipped their heads around catching the two culprits just as they were attempting to look as if they were doing something else.

"Oi!" Zoro bellowed angrily. "How long have you guys been there?!"

Usopp hesitated. "Umm..."

"Since you two entered the kitchen!" Chopper said gaily.

"Shhh!" Usopp hissed.

Chopper's happy disposition was so infectious, that Zoro found his anger dissipating. 

"So what can we do today, since Zoro can't go swimming?" Luffy asked, grabbing his and Zoro's bowls and spoons, preparing to deposit them into the sink.

"How about another date?" Zoro said as Luffy returned to the table. "I've been meaning to ask you, but so many things were happening..." 

"Me too, actually!" Luffy said, sitting back down again. "I love hanging out with you! Kuina?"

The woman in question smiled warmly. "Yes, you can take him on a date. And from now on, you don't even have to ask me when you want to take Zoro out." Then she thought a second. "But you will need to borrow the van... Oh well, something can be worked out."

Luffy was happy to hear that he had Kuina's permission to take Zoro out whenever. "Wow! Thanks, Kuina! C'mon, Zoro, let's get you dressed!"

\--------------------

"So where would you like to go?" Luffy asked Zoro as he drove down what was a quiet street for a Saturday afternoon.

"How about the cafe on Sakamoto? They have good coffee," Zoro replied from behind Luffy. 

"Sounds like a plan," Luffy said as he turned onto a busier street. 

\--------------------

"Table for two, please," Luffy told the hostess as he walked in with Zoro.

"Hey, Zoro! Long time no see!"

Zoro's head whirled around, seeing one of the waiters walking toward him and Luffy. "We haven't seen you here since that accident was in the news. We were sorry to hear about Sanji. How've you been doing?"

"Well, a lot's happened since then, but all in all, I'm alright for someone who can't do parkour anymore," Zoro told him jokingly. Then he turned serious. "It was hard, but... Luffy's been helping me... move on."

"Hi, I'm Luffy," Luffy said as he shook the waiter's hand.

The man took the outstretched hand. "Good to meet you, Luffy. I'm Naoki." He turned his attention back to Zoro. "That's good that you were able to move on. Would you like your usual table by the window?"

Zoro thought a moment before replying. The table by the window was the table he'd sat at many a time on dates with Sanji. Sanji, who was now long gone. "I don't know... Maybe somewhere new this time?"

Sympathy filled Naoki's heart. He knew why Zoro no longer wanted the window table. "I'm sorry. Maybe this table here..." He led them to another table in a cozy little out-of-the-way corner of the cafe. "Would be more to your liking?"

"Yeah, thank you," Zoro said politely. He maneuvered his chair to sit across from Luffy. 

"I can take your drink orders now, if you'd like?" Naoki asked them. "The usual for you, Zoro?"

"Yes, please." 

The waiter turned to Luffy. "And for you?"

Luffy thought a moment. "I think I'd like a... root beer float!"

"Alright, I'll get those out to you while you look through the menu," Naoki said while he took their drink orders. 

As he walked away, Luffy moved over to Zoro to help him turn the pages on his menu. "So what do you wanna eat?" 

"I usually get the omuraisu. And a side of fries sounds good," Zoro told Luffy as he perused the menu.

Luffy looked through the menu as well before saying, "I'll get the hamburg steak with fries, too."

When Naoki came back with their drinks, they ordered their food. When that was done, they sat back, talking while they waited. 

"So you used to come here with Sanji?" Luffy asked Zoro.

A small nod. "Yeah. Sanji used to say this place's food was almost as good as his. His cooking was his pride and joy."

Luffy grinned. "Really? Can't wait to taste it then! The food here, I mean."

After several minutes, they received their food, and tucked in with light conversation. 

"You really like root beer, huh? I can't stand it," Zoro told Luffy as he was fed a bite of his food.

"Yeah, I heard a lot of people here hate root beer," Luffy spoke about his observation. "I like it though. Probably because I didn't grow up in here."

"I've lived here my whole life," Zoro said, opening his mouth for another bite. Chewing and swallowing, he continued. "I really wanted to see Europe with Sanji. It would've been my first international trip..."

"You have a lot of money now though," Luffy said, taking a bite of his own food. "Why not you and me go one day? See a country outside of Japan?"

"I don't think they'd let me fly like this." Zoro opened his mouth again, receiving another bite of omuraisu. "I guess there's always photographs and films..."

Luffy's brows knitted into a frustrated frown. "That's not fair..." 

"What's that look for? I like living here. I've done it all my life. It's just that I wanna see other places every now and then." Zoro fell silent then, the pensive look on his face telling Luffy exactly how much he actually wished to be able to travel.

Luffy placed another bite of his hamburg steak into his mouth, careful not to scrape the fork against his teeth as he pulled it out. "Maybe one day you will."

Zoro broke himself from his thoughts just then, saying, "What are we being sad sacks for? We're on a date. Sorry for bringing down the mood."

"You don't have to make youself be happy for my sake," Luffy told him as he finished up his food. "Anyway, wanna go to the park? It may be hot, but it's a nice day out."

"Yeah, let's go. Think they'll have ice cream?" Zoro smiled up at his boyfriend. 

\--------------------

"It was a good idea to come here," Zoro said, shading his eyes with a sun visor Luffy picked out for him from a nearby store. "And they do have ice cream vendors."

"Yeah! Want a vanilla cup?" Luffy asked, as they headed toward one of the vendors.

"Yeah, why not?" Zoro sat by while Luffy got a large ice cream cup. 

"It's large enough for us to share!" Luffy said as he headed back towards Zoro. Luffy found a bench, sitting on it with Zoro next to him. He dipped the spoon into the soft serve ice cream, giving Zoro first taste.

"Mmm... That's really good," Zoro commented, rolling the creamy confection on his tongue before swallowing.

Luffy chuckled. "I thought you didn't like sweet things."

Zoro shrugged. "Everyone loves ice cream."

When they were done with their ice cream, Zoro gazed out over the tree-lined lake. "If I can ever hold things again, I'd like to come back here with you so we can fish."

"That sounds nice and peaceful," Luffy gazed out over the lake as well. "We'll have to do it one day. We'll find a way."

Zoro glanced up at his boyfriend with a small smile, before turning back to the lake. After a long while, he said, "Let's take a nature walk."

Luffy didn't mention the fact that Zoro was unable to walk, instead agreeing to the stroll. The scenery was beautiful at this time of year. There were only a few feathery clouds in the sky, and the birds were singing happily. Ducks and geese were swimming with their newly hatched young, and squirrels darted this way and that, playing under the canopy of trees. "There's a playground here, let's go see if there's anyone there."

Zoro was confused as to why Luffy wanted to go to the playground. He didn't really want to go to a place where children played, especially since, for some odd reason, children seemed to love him and flock toward him. While he liked children, he wanted to spend some time with Luffy. "Why?" 

Luffy shrugged as they began moving again. "No reason really. I just wanna play on the slide a bit. Those are always fun."

"I always liked the merry-go-round. Especially when someone spun it fast." Zoro smiled, remembering a piece of his childhood.

"Those are great!" Luffy exclaimed giddily. "We should go on that!"

"I can't sit up by myself, though." Zoro wiped at the sweat beading on his forehead. "Geez, it's hot."

"I think around 27-28 degrees." Luffy checked the weather app on his phone. "Yep. That's what it says."

"Wanna reapply my sunblock?"

"Sure!"

When they got to the playground, to Zoro's dismay, there were a handful of kids there who, upon seeing him, ran over to talk to him and ask him questions. One kid even climbed up, sitting in his lap. The little girl, who looked to be no more than about four or five, peered at his scarred eye, asking, "What happened to your eye?"

Zoro didn't want to scare the girl by explaining to her what had actually happened to his eye, so he skirted around the question. "I hurt it in an accident." 

The little girl stared at his face, pondering for a moment, then asked, "Is it gonna get better?"

"Maybe one day," Zoro told her smiling warmly, just before she raised up and planted a gentle kiss on his scarred eyelid.

"Get better soon!" She said just before she climbed off of his lap. Over the next hour, little kids came and went playing with, and talking to Zoro, Luffy watching the interactions with something like wonder. He'd never realized that his boyfriend was a kid magnet. They _loved_ him! And by the way he patiently answered their questions and talked to them, never down to them, Luffy could tell that he loved them too.

One of the kids covered Zoro's eyes with his hands, even though Zoro only had one eye that needed to be covered. "Let's play hide and seek!" He said into Zoro's ear. "We'll hide, and you come find us!"

"Okay, but let me cover my own eyes." Zoro chuckled, scanning the number of kids playing, before doing just that. 

"Okay, then count to a hundred, then come find us!"

As Zoro began counting, Luffy came over, asking, "You really gonna go all the way to a hundred?"

"I made a promise, didn't I?" Zoro said, still covering his eyes. "Though, I'm not really breaking it if I count by fives, right?"

When Zoro got done counting, it wasn't long before he'd found all the players. The kid who'd suggested the game, had wanted him to play longer, but it was getting too hot for Zoro, so he and Luffy decided to move on much to the dismay of the kids. 

\---------------------

"We didn't get to see the whole zoo last time," Luffy said as he drove. "Wanna go back?"

"Nah. Let's rent a movie instead. We can think of something else to do while we watch it," Zoro replied, rubbing his good eye. It was itching and irritated. Maybe he'd gotten dust into it?

"Well... okay, if that's what you want," Luffy said, heading to a conbini near Kuina's house. They parked, getting out and going over to the DVD kiosks to make their selections.

"This one's a mix of older and newer ones." Zoro rubbed his eye again. "Damn."

Luffy looked over. "What's wrong?"

"Eye's itching like crazy," Zoro replied, as he began to dig into his watering eye with the heel of his hand. 

"Don't do that!" Luffy pulled Zoro's hand away from his face. "You'll hurt your eye that way. Maybe you got something in it." He said as he peered into Zoro's eye.

"I wondered that." He rapidly blinked his eye. "It's been hurting ever since the playground." 

"Maybe you got some sand in it. But I can't see anything," Luffy said, straightening back up again. "Maybe we should have Kuina look at it."

"Good idea." 

\--------------------

"You should stop rubbing it, Zoro. It's getting all red and puffy." Kuina told him after looking for any dust or sand. She wet a cloth, gently swabbing around his irritated eye with it. "It should be better after a while, so try not to rub it so much, okay?"

Zoro nodded, reaching up. Remembering what Kuina said, he put his hand back down in his lap. 

"C'mon Zoro, let's watch the movie we rented. It'll take your mind off your eye." Luffy blurted from the living room as he slipped the DVD into the player.

Zoro didn't really feel like telling him that watching something might irritate his eye more, so he went into living room where Luffy and Kuina were. They helped him out of his chair and onto the sofa, where he lay with his head in his boyfriend's lap. 

Remote in hand, Luffy started the movie.

As the movie wore on, the itching increased, turning into a burning sensation along with the itching. He was trying his best not to rub it, but that was becoming a nearly impossible task, seeing that the irritation was getting so bad. Deciding to forego the movie for a nap, he closed his eye.

\--------------------

"Zoro? Wake up, Zoro!"

Luffy's voice floated into Zoro's consciousness as he struggled to awaken. He opened his eye...

"WOAH!" Zoro heard Luffy's voice exclaim. "Kuina! C'mere quick!" Zoro rubbed his now itching, burning, and stinging eye hard, which only made it feel gritty on top of the other irritation. Zoro felt his hand being pulled away from his eye. "Stop that, Zoro!" Kuina came into view just then.

"Oh no!" Kuina moved closer to Zoro, who's captive wrist was still being held by Luffy. "It's worse now!" She went to wet another cloth to tend to Zoro's eye with. On the way back, a thought occured to her. Gently pressing the cloth to Zoro's eye, she asked Luffy. "Where'd you two go today on your date?"

Luffy didn't understand what that had to do with Zoro's eye, but he answered the question anyway. "Just to lunch, and then the park, why?"

Kuina persisted. "Were there kids at the park?"

"Yeah. And they played with Zoro too. A lot," Luffy said as he began to put two and two together. He told her about the kid who'd initiated the game of hide and seek. "He covered Zoro's eye! Do you think something could have been on his hands?" 

"Yeah. From the symptoms he's displaying, it looks like Zoro's got a mean case of pink eye," Kuina announced, peeking under the compress to look at the eye in question. "I can't believe I didn't think of this before."

"But I've never had pink eye before," Zoro spoke up then. 

"I know, but it's highly contagious, spreading easily. Especially among those who have contact with kids." Kuina covered Zoro's eye again. "Kids love you, so it was only a matter of time. He'll need drops for his eye, but I won't be able to get him to a doctor until Monday."

Luffy thought a second. "Maybe we could ask Chopper?" He lovingly rubbed Zoro's arm.

"That sounds good, then we won't need to wait."

\--------------------

"It's late now, but I should be able to get the drops to you first thing tomorrow morning," Chopper told them on the phone. "In the meantime, just keep doing the warm compresses. That should help with the pain and irritation."

"Thank you SO much! Now we won't have to wait until Monday!" Luffy said gratefully. 

Chopper's smile was nearly audible to Luffy. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Nah, that's it. But thanks for asking! Have a good night!" And with that, he hung up the phone. 

"Can't get the medicine right now, huh?" Zoro asked. He'd had his bath for the night and was now lying in his bed in his pajamas with his blanket pulled over him. His eye sported a fresh compress that Luffy held in place for him.

"No. Not until tomorrow at least," Luffy told him quietly. He gently removed the compress. 

Zoro kept his eye closed to prevent the cool air from irritating it further. "I can wait a few hours."

"Your eye is oozing this thick stuff," Luffy commented, wiping at it with another damp cloth.

"I think that's a normal symptom," Zoro said, sliding his hand under his pillow. "You know, I used to go to bed around 4 AM and wake up around 7 AM, and nap during the day. But the nursing home always made me sleep around 9 and wake up at 7, so that's what my internal clock's like now." He yawned. "Speaking of which, I'm tired. Can you help get my oxygen mask on?" 

Luffy glanced at the clock. Sure enough, it read twelve minutes to ten. He slipped the mask over Zoro's face, turning the machine on. "I'll be here in the morning when you wake up, Zoro. Sorry I can't stay with you tonight."

"No problem, I understand," Zoro answered, as Luffy tucked him in. "Night Luffy."

"Nite Zoro!"

\--------------------

As Zoro's mind swam slowly to consciousness the next morning, he right away realized that he couldn't open his eye. Reaching up, he touched his lids, instantly understanding why his eye wasn't opening. It was gummed up with a dry, crusty substance, most likely a result of the pink eye infection. He tried using his fingers to remove it, but they weren't working well, as usual, and it was as if the stuff had glued his eye completely shut. 

Unable to see, he wondered when Kuina would be in to help him. Then he felt Kitetsu move on his bed. "Kitetsu!" He whispered. "Kitetsu, I can't see! Go get Kuina, okay?"

Just when Zoro had thought she hadn't heard, he felt her jump out of the bed. A few minutes later, his door creaked open, and he could hear soft footsteps pad their way over to his bed. "Kuina?"

"Oh Zoro..." Through the sleepy haze she was in, Zoro could hear the concern in her voice. "Let me help you with that..."

It wasn't long before a warm, damp cloth was gently pressed over his eye again, and he could feel the crusty mess begin to soften. After several minutes, she removed the compress and began to lovingly clean out his eye and remove the gunk from his thick eyelashes. When that was all done, she asked, "Better now?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Kuina, Kitetsu."

Just then, they heard keys in the front door. Zoro's face brightened, knowing it was Luffy. "Kuina, help me sit up, please."

"Zoro! I have the drops!" Luffy said, hurrying into the room. He handed the tiny bottle of eye medicine to Kuina. "Do you wanna put them in?"

"Yeah, since this is his first time having pink eye." She took the drops, turning to Zoro. She held open his eye. "I have to warn you, you'll feel an acute burning sensation the first couple of times I put these in. Just hold still and it'll all be over in a few seconds, okay?"

Zoro lie there, chuckling. "Come on, how bad can it be?"

As the first drop hit his eye, the chuckling abruptly stopped, being replaced by cursing. Zoro covered his good eye with both hands as tears streamed from it. "Ahhh! Shit! This is supposed to help? What's it supposed to do, burn out my only good eye?!"

"Once your eye gets used to it, it won't hurt so much anymore. Now hold still, I still need to put in another one." Luffy pulled Zoro's hands from his face while Kuina applied the second drop. 

After a few seconds, Zoro opened his eye, saying, "Oh. That wasn't so bad."

"That's cause the first one surprised you. This time, you knew what to expect," Luffy said. He turned to Kuina. "Can I sit him up now?"

"Yes, you can. I'm done for now. I'll go start breakfast."


	15. It's In His Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuina sends Luffy away so that he and Zoro can have a bit of space for a little while, but was she in the wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting 14 and 15 together today

"Hey Luffy!" Usopp greeted in his usual way one June afternoon. Being accustomed to seeing Luffy's boyfriend with him, but not seeing Zoro, he asked, "Where's Zoro? Is his eye infection okay now?"

Luffy turned to his friend. "Oh yeah, that's all better."

"So where is he?"

"It's really hot out today, and his body can't regulate temperature good anymore. Kuina's off today, so she's keeping him at home," Luffy said, a bit of sadness creeping into his voice.

"So why aren't you there with him?" Usopp asked, genuinely curious.

"She said I needed a break, sent me away for awhile," Luffy muttered, body slumping. "But I wanna be with Zoro!"

Usopp placed his hand on Luffy's shoulder. "I'm sure he wants to be with you too. Wanna go for a ride? It'll help take your mind off of things for a bit."

Luffy sighed. "Sure..."

\--------------------

Zoro sat in his powerchair in front of the TV, a weather forecast quietly playing on the screen in front of him. From the looks of it, this summer looked to be another scorchingly hot one. It had been a scorcher the night he'd lost Sanji, too. Thinking once again of his loss, he was painfully reminded of the fact that, although he'd survived the brutal accident, he'd likely spend the rest of his life in his powerchair. Peering down into his lap, he moved his hands, revealing the wide strap locked around his waist, keeping him safely secured in the chair. There was the harness along his shoulders and torso, too, helping him to keep an upright position. He felt like a prisoner, locked up in a chair he really wanted to get out of. Deep down... he wanted to do parkour again, if only just one more time. Thinking of all the things he used to do before his body was ruined by the accident, he took several deep, shaky breaths to calm himself down, lest he give way to the tears that were pricking his eye, threatening to fall. 

If only Luffy were here. Luffy could always take his mind off of things, and make him feel better...

"Zoro?"

Zoro was startled from his thoughts by Kuina's voice. He turned to her, looking up. It seemed he was always looking up at people, these days... He swallowed hard before answering. "...Yeah?"

She could plainly see his diligent efforts to fight off tears. "You okay?" She asked, placing her arm around him, concern in her voice.

Another deep breath before replying. "...Yeah... Yeah, I'm okay..." He turned back to the TV, closing his eyes. Deep breaths...

"You're bored without Luffy here, aren't you?" Realizing that that probably didn't even scratch the surface of what was upsetting her little brother, she pulled over a chair to be more at eye level with him. Then she asked, "Or is something else bothering you?"

Zoro was quiet for a long while. Whenever he was troubled about something, he could always count on his big sister to be there to talk to and support him. Grateful that she'd sat down near him so he didn't have to look up, he swallowed hard before answering. 

"...I... I'm sick of living like this..." At Kuina's shocked look, he hastily added, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not suicidal... I wanna live, just... not like this..."

Kuina nodded, beginning to understand. "You mean, the powerchair, and the bed with the railings..." 

"And needing to be _bathed_ , and _dressed_ , and _fed_ , and... have _everything_ done _for_ me..." Zoro sighed, gesturing at the harness holding him in his powerchair. "...I hate... _this_! I wanna be my normal self again..." At the last two words, Zoro's voice wavered as a tear slid down his face, and sniffling, Zoro hastily wiped it away. 

"I know..." Kuina removed the harness from Zoro's body, to help her better enbrace her little brother. Reluctantly, his arms encircled her, he burying his face into her shoulder, unable to hold back anymore. Kuina held her brother as he quietly sobbed into her shoulder. She didn't pretend to understand what he was going through, not having gone through it herself, so she didn't try to console him with empty words, just held him tightly, hand in his hair. 

After a long while, his sobs slowed, until they'd finally stopped. Then, slowly pulling away, he muttered, "Sorry about that..."

It was rare for Zoro to apologize for something. Though, it wasn't because he was pompous and arrogant, but because he didn't usually do anything to warrant having to apologize in the first place.

"What are you sorry for?" Kuina asked, confused as she strapped Zoro back in, plucking a few nearby tissues to wipe his nose. "Sometimes it helps to let things out. It's not good to keep your feelings bottled up."

"I know, it's just... I shouldn't always burden you with my problems." Zoro took another deep breath to calm himself down. "It's not fair to you."

Kuina grinned. "Little Brother. If I feel that something you're doing is unfair to me, I'll tell you. Don't forget that." She tapped the tip of his reddened nose.

Zoro nodded, unable to help his own smile.

\--------------------

"That would be a great place to take Zoro! He'd love it!" Luffy said as he gazed out of the window at the different places they passed.

Usopp sighed quietly as he drove. For the whole ride, Luffy had only talked about Zoro. It reminded him of the time before they'd met Zoro. "Hey Luffy, you think you and Zoro can come to my house for an outdoor gathering next week?"

"I can come. Don't know about Zoro though," Luffy said, thinking of how hot it was today. Though the gathering sounded fun, he really didn't want to go if Zoro couldn't.

Knowing his friend well, Usopp said, "Well, it'll be in the evening. It'll be cooler then, so he should be able to come. I also have some of those cold things you wrap around your neck in hot weather. And if he still gets too hot, we can take him indoors to cool off. It's a win-win."

Luffy grinned. "Great idea! So what time should we come over?"

"Six should be good."

"Actually, I may need to talk to Kuina, to see what she says about this," Luffy said. "Hopefully it won't be too hot that day."

"Tell her she can come too."

Slowing to a stop at a red light, a tune floated through the window of the car beside them. Sounding as if it were an older song, Luffy couldn't help but listen to the lyrics...

_If you wanna know_  
 _If he loves you so,_  
 _It's in his kiss_!

Beginning to ponder how much his boyfriend loved him, Luffy started when Usopp tapped him on the arm. 

"Oi, did you hear what I said?" 

"Oh... Um..."

"I said, it's gonna be a potluck type thing, so what'll you be bringing?" Usopp repeated, as the light turned green and he drove off.

"Meat!" 

Usopp sighed. "There'll be meat there already."

"Nothing wrong with more meat!" Luffy grinned. Then he said, "Take me back to Kuina's, maybe she'll let me be with Zoro again."

"It hasn't even been an hour yet, and she said you needed a break for a while. Give yourself some more time before you go back."

"But I miss Zoro..." Luffy looked about to cry.

Usopp felt for his friend. "I know, just... wait a little while longer, okay?"

Luffy slumped dejectedly in his seat.

\--------------------

Zoro lay in bed shortly after lunch, wishing he were out enjoying the summer with Luffy, instead of lying in his bed, thinking. At least Kuina had changed his linen earlier, so he was comfortable. But unfortunately, without Luffy there with him, he was too wired to go to sleep. Arm around his blue puppy plush, and Kitetsu against his back, he stared out of the window near his bed. 

Hearing thunder in the distance, he watched the clouds as they slowly tucked away the sun, gathering for a storm. As he lay there, he couldn't help but wonder what Luffy was doing. Was he having fun? Or did he miss Zoro as much as Zoro missed him. Thinking he'd heard Luffy's voice just then, he raised his head from his pillow. After a minute or so, he slowly lowered it again. He was hearing things. 

Squeezing his plushie to his chest, he wished fervently that it could be Luffy in his arms. The plushie was a poor substitute for his boyfriend. Letting out a plaintive moan, Zoro wanted nothing more than to get out of his bed to look for Luffy. 

Unfurling his arm from the plushie, Zoro reached out, loosely grabbing one of the bars of the railings on his bed in his hand. Unable to grip it tightly because of the weakness in his hands, he let his imagination run wild with ways he could make the bars disappear. If he could make them disappear, he could be free again. 

Taking a peek under the blankets, he gazed at his bare feet. Since the accident, he couldn't so much as wiggle even one toe. His paralyzed body could still feel some sensation, which was quite unusual, but from the chest down, he couldn't move _at all_. It was as if he were a doll, unable to make his body obey even his simplest commands. 

Sighing, he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible, knowing that it could very well be a long time before Kuina came back to check on him. His sharp ears could pick up the sounds of her beyond his cracked door, doing household chores. He wanted to get up and help, be able to do something, not lie in bed while she did all the work... But he felt as useless as his body was. 

He used every ounce of his being to will his useless body to move again, make even the slightest motion. 

Nothing.

No wonder that CNA had been able to take advantage of him. He shook his head vigorously, trying hard to think of something, anything else to take his mind off of what had happened that time. At least he could take solace in the fact that she'd been arrested, and was hopefully going to rot in prison for a long time for what she'd done to him. 

Apparently, she'd had a history of molesting patients, and had used a fake identity at the nursing home in which he'd resided, to cover up this fact. He closed his eye, taking deep breaths again to calm himself down.

Most people, when asked if they had the chance, whether or not they'd change negative circumstances that had happened in their life, would say that they would do it all over again... Zoro, however, wasn't so sure he would want to. Having been in a near-fatal accident where he'd lost his boyfriend, and later, his freedom, he couldn't honestly say he'd want to go through that again. But then, had he been spared from going through that, he would never have met Luffy. Luffy, who was the light of Zoro's life. 

Sure, Sanji had been the center of Zoro's world at the time, but it was somehow... different... with Luffy. Luffy didn't replace Sanji, he just occupied a different place in Zoro's heart. A place close to Sanji's, but not so close as to overlap.

As he lay on his side in his bed, watching the sky, it began to rain. First softly, then harder. After a moment, it was coming down so hard, he could hear it hitting the rooftop. Despite the thunder, weather like this made him sleepy. Wondering again how Luffy was doing, he felt himself finally begin to drift off. 

\--------------------

Kuina usually hummed while she worked, but not today. She had a lot on her mind. As she straightened the sofa pillows, finally finishing the chores she'd done, she thought about Luffy. 

He'd looked so dejected as he'd been sent away, it had nearly broken her heart, and it had taken every ounce of her willpower to not call him back. She had reasoned that he needed to rest, and be away from Zoro for a while. Surely sometimes, they each needed their own space, right?... Or was she in the wrong? Was that really for her to decide? Luffy certainly seemed attached to her brother, and Zoro to Luffy. Had she been wrong to send Luffy away, even if it was only for a couple of hours?

She tried to imagine how Luffy felt, and realized that, like Luffy, she really didn't like the idea of being separate from Zoro either. Her love for Zoro was different of course, since he was her little brother, but had she been forced to be apart from her brother for too long... She really didn't want to think about that. Zoro meant the world to her, and being separated from him was too much to bear. It was the reason she'd spent so much time visiting him when he'd been in the nursing home. She realized that Luffy was just like her. He didn't like being apart from Zoro any more than she did. Who was she to send Luffy away from his boyfriend?

Dropping down onto the sofa, she whipped out her phone, dialing Luffy's number easily by memory. It hadn't even rung a full time before it was picked up.

A desperate sounding "Hello??" came from the other end.

"Hi... Luffy?..." A contrite Kuina spoke into the phone.

Luffy sounded relieved when he spoke."Yeah?"

Kuina chose her words carefully. "Listen... I... I was wrong... I shouldn't have sent you away like that. Zoro... well, he really misses you... And so do I. It's not the same without you here. You can come back, and I promise to never send you away like that again."

What sounded like a relieved smile at the other end. "It's okay. You musta had your reasons. I'll be there in five! Seeya!"

\--------------------

It had actually taken Luffy less than five minutes to get back to Kuina's, and he burst through the door. "Where's Zoro??"

"Asleep in his roo-" Kuina said as Luffy rushed past her. 

When Luffy got to Zoro's room, he quietly slid open the door, seeing his boyfriend in his bed, facing the window. A faint rustle of Zoro's head on his pillow, then "...Luffy?..." greeted him. 

"Yeah, I'm here..." Luffy answered in a gentle whisper as he walked around the bed, to stand in front of Zoro. He bent down to be closer to Zoro's face, at which point, Zoro slipped an arm around Luffy's neck. Gently pulling the younger man closer to him, Zoro closed his eyes, kissing him hungrily and passionately. Luffy eagerly returned the kiss. It was at that moment that Luffy understood the lyrics of the song he'd heard earlier.

_If you wanna know_  
 _If he loves you so,_  
 _It's in his kiss_!

It was a long moment before Zoro broke the kiss, letting Luffy go. "I've really missed you..." He said honestly, looking up into Luffy's large, chocolate brown eyes. 

"I've missed you too..." Luffy quietly told him. Lowering the railings on one side of the bed, Luffy stripped down to his boxers, slipping under the sheet to hold his boyfriend close to him. 

Lying in Luffy's arms in this way, always made Zoro feel comfortable, safe, and secure, and he found himself drifting off again.


	16. Summer Party

"Me n' you both have eye scars," Luffy observed one day while they were outside, sitting on the porch at Kuina's and Zoro's shared residence, shading themselves from the hot sun. Kuina had recently installed a hanging chair that Zoro currently occupied. Luffy sat near him on the bench. "Does that mean we're soulmates?"

"Maybe," Zoro pondered, then eyeing both their uncovered upper bodies, continued, "Since we both have chest scars too. I've been meaning to ask, how'd you get yours?"

Looking down at the X-shaped scar planted smack in the middle of his chest, Luffy replied, "I was in a fire a coupla years back. Luckily, that was the worst of my injuries that day."

"Yeah... Mine is from the accident..." Zoro paused a moment, trying to decide if he should tell Luffy. "I need to confide something in you..."

At Luffy's nod, Zoro began, hesitantly. "Remember how I told you that Sanji threw out his arm to keep me pushed back, just before the other car hit us?" 

"Yeah... I remember."

He gestured to his chest. "You see how it's all one straight, diagonal line, with no separations?"

Luffy glanced down at Zoro's chest, eyeing the long scar with its stitchmarks. By the looks of it, it had most likely taken a great deal of time and energy to heal. He looked back up at Zoro's face. "Yeah?"

"I'm not positive, but... I think that Sanji might've lost his hand. Like right here..." He indicated his left wrist. "But I'm not sure, and at this point, I'm kinda afraid to ask..." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Sanji prized his hands, so maybe I'm better off not knowing if... _it_... happened or not."

"...Oh..." Luffy said quietly. So, though Zoro didn't actually know the details, he'd had his suspicions all along as to what had happened that night. "I'm sorry Zoro..." 

"Don't be. It's not as if anything could be done now, you know?" Zoro leaned his head back, sighing. "I don't really remember, but I was told that the raging infection from that wound alone nearly killed me... Someone once told me that I was determined to live. Besides Sanji, maybe that's what saved my life." He sighed again, wiping the sweat beading on his forehead with the heel of his hand. "So, what do you wanna do today? I mean, besides hang out here?"

Luffy, pondering all the things Zoro had told him, asked, "I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

"Get up maybe?" Zoro stretched his arms into the air. "Tireda sitting here. Help me back in my chair, will ya?"

"Sure thi-! Hold on a sec..." Luffy interrupted himself, fishing his tinkling phone from his pocket. Seeing that it was Nami, he swiped the flashing answer icon, putting it on speaker for Zoro. "Hello?"

"Hey Luffy, what are you and Zoro up to?" Nami's voice poured out of the speaker.

Luffy shrugged. "Nothing but sitting on Kuina's porch, talking. We're about ta go in though. What's up with you?"

"You two ready for the party tonight?" She asked. "Because I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to pick up some things from the supermarket to take to the party."

"Me 'n' Zoro?" 

"Yeah. Is there a problem?"

Zoro spoke up then. "Not really. But we'll need Kuina's van for my powerchair." 

"Kuina could help me with what I'm looking for, so that's not a problem. Anyway, I'll be there in a few. Jaa-ne~!" 

"Jaa-na!" Luffy tapped the end call icon. He turned to his green-haired boyfriend. "I guess we should head in and get ready."

"Yeah." Letting Luffy lift him out of the hanging seat, he was settled easily into his powerchair, and strapped in. "What are you wearing tonight?"

Luffy held the door open for Zoro as the latter maneuvered himself in. "I brought a change of clothes, so when I get back, I'll shower and change. You?"

"Same."

\--------------------

It didn't take long for the four friends to arrive at the supermarket, going inside. Luffy and Zoro headed toward the meats section, and Kuina and Nami to the produce department. 

"What kind of fruit are we looking for, Nami?" Kuina asked as she picked up a fragrant peach, sniffing at it, then gently squeezing it.

"I'm thinking some of those peaches would be good." She gently thumped a watermelon, listening for a hollow sound. Turning it over, she was pleased to see that the underside was yellow. She put it into her shopping cart, along with a second one.

"We should make a fruit salad for the gathering." Kuina said as she filled a bag with the peaches, before moving on to another fruit. 

"Good idea." Picking up a couple of ripe honeydews and cantaloupes, they joined the watermelons in her shopping cart. "I can help you." She was quiet for a moment, then she asked, "Hey, um, what kind of fruit does Zoro like?"

Kuina shrugged as she placed a pineapple and a bag of cherries into the shopping cart, along with a few mangoes. She grinned. "He's not particular about any kind of fruit, actually. Anything you get him will be fine."

"Really? That makes things easier then," Nami said, grinning along with Kuina. Grabbing some seedless grapes and honeycrisp apples, she nodded. "That should do it! This'll make a good fruit salad."

"Wait a second," Kuina grabbed a package of strawberries and a few kiwis. "There we go! You wanna go look for the boys?"

"Yeah, why not?" Nami agreed. 

Kuina whipped out her phone, tapping and swiping for a few seconds. Peering at her phone, she said, "That's good. They're still somewhere in the store."

"How do you- Oh yeah, Luffy told me about the GPS in Zoro's chair." 

Kuina looked up from her phone, nodding. "Yeah! Zoro's never really had a good sense of direction, and it's only gotten worse as he's gotten older." Following the phone's directions, she began walking. "I had it installed in his chair as soon as he got it. This way, it's easier to keep track of him."

Nami and Kuina walked around the store, scanning the aisles. When they reached the baking section, they spotted Zoro talking to Luffy in front of the box mixes while Luffy leaned on the shopping cart full of various cuts of meats. Nami and Kuina came up to them as Luffy was grabbing a cake mix.

"Hey guys!" Kuina greeted. 

"Hey Kuina!" Luffy greeted, as he held up the box of cake mix. "I heard that there's a way to make a store bought cake mix taste like homemade, but I'm not sure how to do it..."

"I could show you two what to do later, if you want," Nami offered. "It's really easy."

A slight shadow crossed Zoro's features then, before it was hidden once more. "Yeah, that's what Sanji would do every so often, usually when he was pressed for time, or too tired to bake from scratch."

Luffy turned again to Zoro. "Should I get buttercream frosting?"

Zoro shook his head once. "Nah, you can make that yourself. And it'll taste better."

"We have everything we need now. You two ready to go?" Kuina asked. 

With nods from the guys, the small group headed to the registers. 

\--------------------

"This is gonna be fun!" Luffy blurted out as he lathered up his boyfriend in the shower. "Usopp throws the best parties!"

Zoro chuckled quietly. "I believe you. He does seem like an animated kinda guy." 

"I know, right?" Luffy grinned as he washed Zoro's hair. "I'm psyched for this!"

"Why?" Zoro asked, eye closed, enjoying the feeling of Luffy's fingers in his hair.

"It'll be my first time there with you!" Luffy said, taking the shower sprayer down and rinsing Zoro's hair. When Zoro's hair was wet, it was a deeper, richer color than when dry. He then scrubbed Zoro's back. "Kuina said earlier that you guys were gonna bring onigiri." He placed a thoughtful finger on his chin. "I'm tryna decide if I should bring my meat..."

"You'd better!" Zoro said as Luffy moved to his arms. "That's a lot of meat you bought! You have enough to share."

"Yeah," Luffy carefully cleaned Zoro's arms and hands. "I guess I could share some with you."

Zoro leveled him with a look. "With everyone."

Luffy sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll share with everyone..."

Luffy finished bathing Zoro, then finished his own shower before leaving the bathroom with Zoro to dress in clean clothing.

\--------------------

After the fruit salad had been finished and placed in the refridgerator, the two women stood in the kitchen hand-shaping onigiri.

"I think Luffy really enjoys caring for Zoro." Nami finished shaping the one in her hand, inserting an umeboshi, and wrapping it in nori before placing it in the growing pile.

Kuina nodded, scooping hot-from-the-cooker rice into her salted hands, beginning to shape another onigiri. "Yeah, and it helps that he loves my little brother."

"If you don't mind me asking, how much older are you than he is?" Nami asked as she prepared another one of the rice snacks.

"Three years older." Kuina placed the finished product onto the pile before salting her hands again. "He was only five when he'd lost his biological parents to an earthquake. We'd known his family at the time it happened, and that made it easier for us to adopt him into our family."

This surprised Nami. "He's not your brother by blood?" 

Kuina shook her head gently. "No, he's not... Luffy didn't tell you?"

"No... He didn't." Nami set down the onigiri she'd just finished. "Luffy's brother Ace wasn't related to him by blood either, but like you and Zoro, they were closer to one another than most biological siblings." 

"Yeah, Luffy told me about Ace. He may have told Zoro too." As Kuina finished crafting her last onigiri, she said, "Anyway, I guess we should start packing these up."

\--------------------

As the van was parked and they made their way into Usopp's front yard, the smoky scent of grilling fish met their noses. A quick look around revealed that Robin and Franky had made it there before them. The house was quite a bit larger than a modest-sized dwelling, with two floors, a brown roof, and cream-colored siding. The well-manicured lawn with its prize-winning flower beds, rose bushes, and two large plum trees completed the ensemble. 

Kuina led the way, carrying the onigiri bento and closely followed by Nami with the fruit salad and Luffy with a watermelon under each arm. The rest of the fruit was left in the van for the time being. 

"Hey Luffy, put one of those on my lap, I can carry it in," Zoro said, wanting desperately to be able to help.

Kuina whirled around just as Luffy was about to do as Zoro had asked. "No, Luffy. Don't."

Zoro was taken aback. His eyebrows knitted in a frown. "But Kuina! Why?..."

"Zoro, it's too heavy for you," she replied simply.

"But I can carry it on my lap," He tried to reason.

"I know you want to help, but..." Then she thought a moment. "Luffy, give him the cantaloupes to carry."

"Okay!" He set the watermelons down onto the grass, then fetched the much smaller cantaloupes from the car, placing them on Zoro's lap. A little happier now, Zoro wrapped one of his arms around the two small melons, then moved to take them inside.

\--------------------

"Hi, guys! Glad you could make it here alive!" Robin greeted as she opened the door to the four guests. 

At Zoro's questioning look, Luffy quietly told him, "She has a bit of a morbid sensa humor. You get used to it."

"Hi Robin," Nami greeted as she and the others filed inside. Nami walked into the kitchen, placing the bowl of fruit salad in the fridge. "Are Usopp and Franky out back?"

"Yes, they are."

As Nami and Robin talked, Zoro looked around at Usopp's living room. The furniture was nicely placed, with everything in the room colored in warm earth tones. But what was the most remarkable, were the plants in the house. The sheer number of them was staggering! And so much variety! Zoro was so busy marveling, that it startled him when Luffy spoke.

"Yeah, Usopp is a plant and flower conna... connesss..."

Zoro looked up at Luffy, an inquisitive look on his face. "Connoisseur. That what you meant?"

"Yeah!" Luffy grinned as Zoro hit upon the right word. "Though if ya wanna know about herbs for medicine, that's Chopper's field of expertise."

Zoro nodded. "Ahh!"

"You two!" Nami called to Luffy and Zoro. When they whirled around, she said, "Go and take the melons out back. We'll meet you out there in a few."

"Okay!" Luffy cheerfully answered. "C'mon, Zoro!"

"Oh Zoro!" She called as they headed out back. "Usopp owns a large golden retriever. He shouldn't bother you, but I thought you should know."

Zoro smiled. "Thanks!"

As Luffy slid the patio door open, the summer heat hit him in the face again. The dog bounded up to them, sniffing Zoro all over before rearing up and placing his large paws into Zoro's lap. A large, wet, and slimy tongue slurped Zoro up the face before Luffy could stop him. 

"Alan likes you Zoro!" Luffy said while Zoro tried to get a handle on the dog's affections. 

"I see that!" Zoro said between doggie kisses. "Can you get him off me please? I'm gonna drop the cantaloupes." 

Luffy turned his attention to the outgoing dog. "Alan, I know you're excited to meet my boyfriend, but we need to put the melons on the table, okay?" Luffy said calmly.

"I don't think that'll..." Zoro said as the dog got down. The dog hung close by him though, as Luffy put first his melons on a nearby table, then Zoro's. 

"Oi, guys! You made it!" Usopp exclaimed happlily from where he was at the charcoal grill. 

"Hey Usopp! Lookit Alan! He loves Zoro!" Luffy said as the dog in question licked Zoro's hands.

Kuina who'd brought her food outside earlier, and had set it on the table, turned and said, "That's so sweet! But then, animals and children do seem to gravitate towards Zoro."

Luffy slid open the door to go back inside. "Be right back, gonna go get the meat!"

"Zoro-bro! You made it!" Franky said, coming over, putting a cola he'd opened for Zoro into his cup holder. "How do you like everything so far?"

A smile lit Zoro's face. "The party setup? It's great! Hot though, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's so _SUUPPPEERR_ hot today!"

Zoro chuckled. " _Oh_ yeah. I don't think Luffy minds the heat so much. Me though? I can't sweat below the point of my spinal injury, so too much heat is no good." He wiped sweat beading on his brow with the back of his hand. "How about you? How do you manage to beat the heat?" He was specifically referring to Franky's arms.

"I have a cooling system inside my arms." He lifted each one in turn. "Keeps me from getting too hot!" He grinned from ear to ear.

The grin was contagious, and Zoro found himself grinning as well. "Oh man, I don't get jealous much, but that... I wish I had something like that!"

"You're not a summer weather kinda guy, are you," Franky asked Zoro.

Zoro shook his head. "Never have been. I got heat exhaustion once when I was little---I was doing kendo, and I overworked myself. Happened again last month with the van. Anyway, I prefer autumn." 

"Same here. It's nice when it's not too hot, and not too cold." Franky smiled.

Zoro's smiled back. "Exactly!" He eyed the golden retriever mix sitting next to his chair, appearing to smile at him. He then turned to Franky again. "Why does he _like_ me so much?"

\--------------------

After Luffy had gotten back, Kuina asked Usopp, "He really enjoys hanging around Zoro. Hasn't stopped following him around since he got here."

Usopp looked up from his grilling. "Oh. Actually, that's probably because he was trained years ago as a service dog."

Kuina's eyes widened. "A service dog?"

"Yeah!" Usopp lay a rack of ribs, some ribeye steaks and hot dogs on the grill before closing the lid. "When he was younger, he'd had service dog training. But when he failed one of his tests to become one, they had to rehome him as a normal pet. That's how I got him."

"Wow..." Kuina marveled. "Is Alan the name he came with, or..."

"I named him!" Usopp stated proudly, thumb pointing to his chest. "Except for him being able to work the ice dispenser and open the fridge whenever he wants, he's a good dog!"

Kuina giggled happily. "Sounds like a handful!"

"He is!" Usopp laughed.

"Oi, Usopp! Kuina!!" A cute little voice called out. 

Usopp and Kuina whirled around to see Chopper running toward them.

"Chopper!" They both exclaimed in unison. 

Usopp hugged the boy when he got to them. "Hey Chopper, glad you could make it!"

Chopper giggled lightly as he pulled away. "Yeah! I brought some mochi and matcha ice cream! They're in your freezer!" 

"Thanks! We'll have to have some for dessert!" Usopp put down the barbeque fork and tongs he'd been using for grilling. 

Chopper turned to gaze at Zoro for a second, then turned back to Kuina. "Alan's really taken to Zoro, hasn't he?"

"Indeed! He hasn't left Zoro's side!"

\--------------------

Zoro scratched the golden retriever mix behind the ears, hoping that after a while, Alan would go along on his way and leave him alone. It wasn't that he didn't like the dog, but he kept getting between him and Luffy, and was overall, in the way. 

Zoro sighed. It was hot out today, though it was already evening, and while he didn't want to go indoors away from everyone else, he most likely had no choice. The humidity was thick today as well, and he was beginning to find it hard to breathe...

Alan must have sensed his distress, because he moved away from Zoro, toward Luffy, coming back with his boyfriend. 

"You okay Zoro?" Luffy asked worriedly as he jogged up to him.

Zoro nodded once. "Yeah, just hot right now." 

"Yeah, and the mosquitoes are starting to come out too." Luffy smacked one on his arm just then. 

"They usually don't bite me," Zoro commented as Luffy was attacked by yet another one.

Luffy scratched at the bites. "I _know!_ Lucky! They love me! Be right back, gonna go get some repellent."

Zoro nodded again, wishing he could get out of his chair. Summer was not a good time to be stuck in a powerchair. It was just too damn hot.

When Luffy got back, he had the spray-on repellent in hand. "Kuina says for me to make sure you had some on too."

Zoro wrinkled his nose, holding up his hands. "No way! That stuff stinks!" 

"Come on, Zoro! Just let me spray some on you! I promised Kuina, and I won't use much!" 

"No!"

Kuina stepped in just then in over-protective sister mode. Smiling sweetly, she asked, "Is Zoro giving you a hard time?" 

Zoro knew that look. She had a glint in her eye that he didn't like.

"Yeah..." Luffy said hesitantly, not really wanting to rat out his boyfriend, but knowing that Kuina was only asking out of concern.

Kuina held out her hand for the repellent, deceptively sweet smile growning bigger. 

"No, Luffy, don't!" Zoro shook his head quickly at Luffy. He then glanced at Kuina, swallowing hard at the look in her eyes.

\--------------------

"See? That wasn't so bad!" Luffy laughed.

"Hmph, traitor," Zoro said, crossing his arms, then quickly unfolded them again. "Ugh. This stuff _stinks!_ It makes my skin feel gross, and mosquitoes don't even bite me!"

"Now they _really_ won't bite you!" 

"Yeah, 'cause she practically _bathed_ me in the stuff!"

At Luffy's hysterical laughter, Zoro exclaimed, "It's not funny!"

"Come on! She's only a concerned big sis!"

"Yeah, but I'm not a kid." Zoro fanned himself. "Gods, it's hot. I needta get outta this chair..."

The look of concern was back on Luffy's face. "Want me to take you inside for a while?"

Zoro was beginning to consider it. "Well..." He started, before Luffy interrupted. 

"Oh yeah! I forgot! Usopp's told me he's got some of those things you hang around your neck to keep you cool! Be right back!" And with that, he ran off.

Part of Zoro was glad he wouldn't have to go inside, though he still wanted out of his chair. But without the straps and harness holding him in, he'd never be able to sit upright. 

Just then, Luffy ran past him again. "Be right back!"

Moments later, a cold, but soothing wide strip was draped around the back of his neck, and over his shoulders, and he immediately felt some relief from the heat. "Thanks, Luffy."

"No problem," he said, giving Zoro a warm smile. "Let me know if you get too hot again."

Zoro nodded, Luffy and Alan cozying up to him. "Stop, you guys. It's still too hot."

"Zo~ro!" 

Zoro looked up to see Chopper coming toward him. He held a bowl of ice cream in one hand and a cone in the other. There was a big grin on his face. Zoro smiled back.

"Hey Chopper!" 

The boy stopped in front of Zoro's powerchair, handing him the bowl. "Franky told me that you don't like the heat, so I brought you ice cream!"

"Thanks but..." Zoro said, staring at the bowl. He looked back up at Chopper. "I can't hold the spoon. My hands..."

"Oh yeah," Chopper thought a second. "Maybe I can feed it to you!"

Zoro face blushed red. "Um, you really don't-"

"Be right back!" Then Chopper was gone.

A moment later, and he was back, chair in tow, and without the ice cream cone. He set up the chair, then taking the bowl from Zoro, he scooped up some of the cold concoction in the spoon, holding it up to Zoro's mouth.

\--------------------

Luffy caught Chopper feeding Zoro ice cream out of the corner of his eye, and stopped for a moment to watch. Zoro was eating the ice cream, but the blush on his face told Luffy that his boyfriend was uncomfortable having someone who wasn't him or Kuina feed him. 

He would've gone over to offer to feed Zoro himself, but Zoro and Chopper were deep in conversation, and he didn't want to intrude. He decided that he'd watch from a distance.

\--------------------

"Yeah, I really can't take the heat. Not like I used to," Zoro told Chopper as he opened his mouth for more ice cream.

Chopper stuck the spoon in. "I know what you mean. I grew up in a cold climate full of ice and snow most of the year, so I can't really get used to this."

"Where're you from?" Zoro asked, interested.

Chopper grinned again, scooping up more ice cream. "The northernmost part of Canada. It's nice, but for the longest time, I had never seen sakura blossoms 'cause it's too cold for them to grow there. You?" 

"Born and raised here. I almost got to leave to live in Europe for a while, but then the accident happened. I wanna travel to new places, but right now... I can't." Zoro sighed. "It's hard living like this, but I manage okay."

"Oh, Zoro..."

"Sorry, I don't mean to bum you out. It is what it is. So, what do you think of autumn?"

\--------------------

As the food was just about ready, a set of outdoor lights on a automatic timer flickered on. Was it 8:00 already?

Luffy appeared in Zoro's line of vision just then. "You having fun?"

Zoro was so tired, from the heat and all the activity going on around him, that he was having trouble keeping his eye open. Still, he nodded, trying not to let on just how tired he was. His boyfriend knew better though.

"You're really tired tonight, aren't you? I'mma go get Kuina, an' we can take you home-" he said before he was interrupted by Zoro's hand on his arm.

"No, don't... I don't wanna ruin her fun. She rarely gets to have any as it is. So just... don't tell her anything, okay?"

Luffy thought a moment, then he conceded. "Alright. Hey, you feel up to eating? There's some good stuff here tonight! When Brook got here, he brought beef curry!" 

Zoro tried to remember when Brook had arrived, and found that he couldn't. Oh well, must've been the heat. 

\--------------------

Everyone lined up at the food table, taking turns to fill their plates, then sitting down at the picnic tables to enjoy their meals. 

"This beef curry is really good," Zoro commented on his third mouthful. 

Luffy grinned. "Yeah, Brook makes great curry!"

"It goes good with Kuina and Nami's onigiri too." Zoro yawned widely before taking his fourth bite. 

Luffy thought a second. "Hmm, you wanna go inside and take a nap for a bit? That way, you can get your rest, and Kuina can stay longer."

Zoro rubbed his good eye. "That sounds great, actually. I didn't get my nap in earlier."

"Alright. I'll take you inside once I'm done feeding you."

\--------------------

The inside of the house was a lot cooler compared to the sticky heat outdoors, and Zoro found himself yawning again. Usopp had gone upstairs to grab some pillows and a blanket for the sofa (Zoro had insisted on sleeping there), while Luffy unstrapped Zoro from his seat. 

When Usopp came back down, he created a nest of pillows on the sofa that they lay Zoro down into. Zoro was so tired at this point, that he didn't object. 

"You want me to turn the lights down, Zoro?" Usopp asked quietly after Luffy had covered him with the blanket.

Zoro, who lay on his belly with his hands under his pillow, nodded. "Yeh, go 'head..."

"Alrighty," he said as he went to do just that. Afterwards, he whispered, "C'mon, Alan, let Zoro sleep. Alan!"

Zoro shook his head on the pillow. "Let 'im stay... He's not botherin' me..."

"Alright, we'll be back to check on you in a little while." And with that, Luffy and Usopp headed back outside. 

When he was alone, Zoro stared at Alan with his good eye for a moment. "Why'd you wanna stay with me? You like me?"

The dog barked once, before appearing to smile, lolling out his long pink tongue. His tail swished happily.

"Is that a 'yes'?"

Another bark. 

"I see." Zoro closed his eye. "Keep me company while I sleep, 'kay?"

A whine, then a low bark. Zoro could feel Alan snuggle against the sofa as he slowly drifted off to sleep. 

\--------------------

"Zoro's been asleep for a whole hour, I'mma go check on him," Luffy said as he gazed at the time on his phone. 

Usopp put a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Let him sleep a little longer before we disturb him. He was really tired." 

Luffy sat back down. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I just wanna be with him in case he needs anything."

"Well, when you put it like that, I guess we could go check on him."

Turning to the back door, they spotted Alan scratching on the glass pane. Walking over to the door, Usopp slid open the door to let the dog out, but the dog turned around, running back through the kitchen, into the living room where Zoro was sleeping. They heard a loud series of coughs, not unlike that of someone trying to catch his breath, coming from the room. Running in, they found Zoro coughing in his sleep, Alan worriedly pacing in front of Zoro, trying to indicate that something was wrong..

"What's wrong with him?" Usopp asked confused. 

Luffy knew right away. "He needs his air mask. He normally sleeps with one on. We should probably lift his head more."

"Good idea." 

They were just about to turn Zoro over when Kuina came into the living room from the kitchen. She looked almost as tired as Zoro had. "What's going on here?"

"Zoro got really tired so we brought him in for a nap, but then he started coughing cause he doesn't have his air, so we were gonna lift his head," Luffy explained.

"No need. It's getting late, so we need to head home anyway. Thank you, Usopp, for your hospitality," Kuina respectfully said, bowing.

A huge grin from the long-nosed man. "It was good having you! Come back anytime!"

Kuina smiled tiredly. She turned to Luffy. "You ready to go?"

Luffy wasn't quite ready to go, but Zoro needed to get home to rest, so he said, "Yeah, but I'll drive. Let me go get Nami."

\--------------------

"Nami wasn't ready to go yet, so she said she'll be back to pick up her car tomorrow," Luffy told Kuina as they got a still sleeping Zoro situated in his bed after the ride home. He ran his fingers through Zoro's soft, green hair. "I hope Zoro had fun tonight."

"Me too..." Kuina said softly as she sat in the chair beside her brother's bed. She gazed sadly at Zoro, thinking back to that first time he'd realized that not only would he never again have the ability to walk, run, or do parkour, but that he would also now need to have everything done for him. At first, he had refused to accept what had happened to him, preferring to think that it was all a nightmare from which he would hopefully soon awaken. 

But as time went on, however, he had come to the realization that this, his unresponsive body and his loss of independence, was his cruel reality. More than that though, he'd lost the one person who'd been the center of his universe. The one person who could have helped him through all of this. That was the cruelest reality of all.

And the man who'd done this to him? Although he remained in prison to this day for the vehicular homicide he'd commited when he'd inadvertantly killed Sanji, he still had the ability to walk... and do things for himself. He still had his independence. Zoro, on the other hand, had lost all of that. Zoro had lost one of his precious eyes in that accident, and had nearly lost his life. He'd lost a lot that day, including his boyfriend whom he had dearly loved. 

Hatred welled up in Kuina's heart at the thought of her brother losing so much at the hands of a man who'd lost practically nothing. 

After a while of being lost in her thoughts, a seething anger crept into her quiet voice. "I've never hated anyone so much in my life..."

Luffy swallowed apprehensively, wondering who Kuina was talking about. He hesitantly asked, "...Who?"

"...The man who did..." She gestured to Zoro. "...this... The man who nearly killed my dear little brother... I hate him..." Tears came to her eyes then. "Even though Zoro escaped death, and lived, that... _man_... he... he stole Zoro's freedom, snatched away his independence... Because of him, Zoro will always need people to care for him 24/7... for the rest of his life... And he's only twenty-one..." 

Kuina tried to hold back the tears, and failed. Luffy reached for the tissue box, holding it so that she could pluck some out. She dabbed at her reddening eyes as she continued, "Please don't get me wrong. I don't mind taking care of my little brother... because I love him dearly... but he shouldn't have to go through this... He's the innocent victim of a man who chose to get behind the wheel after he'd had only the gods know how much to drink that night... Zoro shouldn't be paying this heavily for that man's actions! Life shouldn't be like this for Zoro... He's only twenty-one!"

Luffy spoke up then, "Zoro told me that the man who nearly killed him got away with only some minor injuries..."

"Yes! And that's the most _sickening_ part of the whole thing! Why does my little brother have to suffer, and he doesn't?!" She said, unaware that the tone of her voice was rising.

"... Kuina?..." Zoro's bleary eye slowly opened as he spoke thickly through his oxygen mask.

"Oh, Zoro... Did I wake you? I'm so sorry..." Kuina apologized sincerely. She began rubbing soothing circles on his back through the blanket.

He could tell she'd been crying. "... What's... wrong?..." He asked, half-lidded eye trying to focus on her, but he was beginning to drift off to sleep again.

"It's okay, Little Brother, there's nothing wrong... I'll be here with you so you can go back to sleep, okay?" Kuina said calmly and soothingly.

Zoro nodded, eye closing again. "...'Kay... Love you... Kuina..."

"I love you too, Little Brother," Kuina said as sleep overtook him again. To Luffy, she whispered, "Maybe we should talk about this later...."

Luffy nodded in agreement.


	17. Another Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro ponders his life, Luffy gets his legs broken in a fight, and Sabo comes back from uni

"I like this time of day," Zoro commented to Luffy as Luffy sat on a bench next to his chair in the park around evening twilight time. The sounds of the nocturnal creatures waking and going about their businesses of searching for food filled the atmosphere around them. They'd not too long before watched the sun as it had set behind the Japanese horizon. At this moment, they were gazing at the many fireflies lighting up the night air around them. "Being here with you right now, is... comforting."

Luffy scooted closer to Zoro, who then lay his head on Luffy's shoulder. Luffy smiled as he combed his fingers gently through Zoro's hair. After another few moments, he said, "I should probably get you home. Kuina'll be worried about you." Luffy could hear a sigh from his boyfriend.

After a minute, Zoro said, "...You're right..." Another sigh.

"What's wrong?" Luffy asked, brow furrowed with concern.

"Nothing. Just that, this is something I'll never get used to," Zoro told him, speaking of his current life.

Luffy, realizing what Zoro meant, said, "But I thought you'd accepted this a long time ago."

"Yeah, I've accepted it, but I'll never be used to it. Come on... I don't want Kuina to worry," 'especially about me...' He thought the last part without voicing it.

Luffy placed a silent hand on Zoro's shoulder.

\--------------------

Early the next morning, Zoro lay comfortably in his bed, on his belly, hands under his fluffy down pillow, body under his blanket. Thinking about his life so far, he lay in silence, the cool, soft glow of dawn breaking up some of the darkness of his room. 

There were so many things he really wanted to do right now, like get out of bed and make breakfast so that when Kuina awakened, she'd have something good to eat. He wanted to get out of bed and go out for a morning run. He wanted to get out of bed and do some work around the house.

He wanted to _get out of bed_.

He wanted to flip over onto his back and try to sit up on his own again... And the first step to working up to that was lifting his head off of his pillow. Tucking his elbows to the sides of his body, his palms flat against the mattress, he slowly and unsteadily lifted his head a few inches, trying his best to keep it up for a count of ten. Unfortunately, he'd barely reached seven before he collapsed into his pillow again. It was harder than he felt it should've been in this position to even do that simple little task. It made him realize just how far he still had to go before he could even attempt to sit up on his own. It just seemed so far into the horizon.

Desperately wanting to leave his bed, he slid his hand between one of the railings, searching for a way to let it down. After several minutes of a fruitless search, he withdrew his hand. It was just as well that he couldn't let it down. It would have trapped his wrist, and he didn't want that. But he was determined one day to be able to do it. Then the bed would no longer be a prison for him. For now though, he tried to get back comfortable again, until the time came for Kuina to get him up.

Until his accident, he'd completely taken for granted his ability to just get up in the mornings and go about his business. He'd had a job, an active lifestyle, a nice apartment he'd shared with a loving boyfriend. He'd even had a driver's license. 

All of that was gone now.

Now when he awoke in the mornings, he had to wait for someone to get him up, dress him, and feed him. Around noon, he needed to be fed lunch, after which he was put down for his daily nap, and at night, he needed to be fed, bathed, and put to bed. Not to mention that being permanently disabled meant that he'd most likely live with his sister for the rest of his life. And that was if he didn't end up in a home again in the future.

What kind of life was this?

Thanks to Kuina and Luffy, he had some quality of life, but it wasn't anywhere near the quality Zoro would have given anything for it to return to.

Just then, his door slowly slid open, Kuina sleepily entering. "Good morning, Zoro... Did you sleep well?"

Zoro nodded against his pillow, then, "I wanna get up..." 

Kuina could hear the forlorn note in his voice through the mask. Her heart went out to him. She planted a smile on her face that she really didn't feel. "Yeah, let's get you up and get some breakfast into you."

\--------------------

Zoro opened his mouth for more food as he and Kuina watched TV in their living room. While Zoro chewed, Kuina picked up the remote and began switching channels. Zoro caught sight of something in an infomercial that made him sharply turn his head. He swallowed quickly. "Wait! Go back!"

"What is it?" She asked as she flipped backward through the previous channels. 

"There! Right there!" Zoro exclaimed, as he gazed longingly at the television. There on the screen, the infomercial was demonstrating a powerchair. But not just any powerchair. It was a powerchair that had the ability to raise the user to a standing position. The user could also ride around in that position.

"I see," Kuina observed. "But I was going so fast, how on earth did you even see that?"

Zoro shrugged. "Dunno." Then after a few moments of watching, "I want one."

Kuina put down the remote. "I understand your desire, but I think those are mostly designed with kids in mind." 

Zoro shook his head, refusing to let that stop him. "I want one." 

"Alright then. I'll see about getting one for you."

Just then, they heard a knock, then keys in the lock of the front door. Realizing who it was, Kuina got up to open the door. "Hey Luffy!"

Luffy beamed cheerfully, dutifully removing his shoes. "Hey Kuina! Zoro up?"

"Yes, he is. He's just finishing breakfast. Come on in!" She beckoned, moving aside so Luffy could walk past her.

"Zoro~!" Luffy greeted, hugging his boyfriend. 

"Hey, Luffy!" Zoro smiled as he let himself be hugged by Luffy. "Look at this!" He indicated the TV. "I really want one," he said wistfully.

"Oh yeah, I've seen those," Luffy turned to Zoro. "If you got one of those, you could finally enjoy the tide pool display at the aquarium!"

"Oh yeah!..." Zoro thought back to that day when, because of his powerchair, he didn't have access to the tide pool display. He hadn't let on, but he'd been deeply disappointed that day. "There'll be other things I can do that I can't do now too! I could finally help Kuina with the housework."

Kuina sat down to resume feeding her brother. "Your hands can't really hold things well right now, though."

"Use tape like Luffy did that day," Zoro suggested.

Luffy nodded in agreement. "Yeah!"

"Well..." Kuina began. "I guess that's not such a bad idea now that I've thought about it. It'll be a small but important step towards regaining the use of your hands."

Zoro's eyebrows raised excitedly as Kuina spoke. "I wanna be able to do stuff again so bad!"

"I know you do. Just keep working at it."

Just then, Zoro heard the tinkling ringtone from Luffy's phone. Luffy fished it from his pocket to see who it was. 

"Who is it?" Zoro craned his neck to see.

Luffy shrugged. "Just some number I don't know. The same number's been calling for like, the past week."

"Well, aren't you gonna answer it?" Zoro asked as Kuina removed the dishes from the table in front of him.

"I don't recognize the number," Luffy said as the phone stopped ringing and he placed it back into his pocket.

Zoro's brow furrowed. "Aren't you gonna check for a message?"

"Nah, it's fine."

"Suit yourself, then."

\--------------------

The blond man hit the end call button on his phone with his thumb, before sticking it back into his pocket. Luffy was notorious about not answering the phone when he didn't recognize the number, but he could at least check his messages.

Maybe, since he was back in Japan after finishing uni, he would pay Luffy a visit.

\--------------------

"Hey, how did you and Kuina become brother and sister?" Luffy asked Zoro as they both watched the torrential rain from the window of Kuina's house one late June afternoon around lunchtime.

"Huh? What do you mean?" 

"Kuina kinda told me that she wasn't your biological sibling..."

"Oh, yeah," Zoro said. "It's true. I was an only child, but I was friends with Kuina, who lived next door at the time. She says my birth parents died in an earthquake, so her family adopted me. She can probably tell you more, if you want. I don't really remember a time when we _weren't_ siblings." 

Luffy was surprised. "You mean you always felt like she was your sister?"

"Well, yeah," Zoro replied. "She was around all the time, and treated me like a little brother. I used to wonder why she didn't live with us." He smiled. "I think... for a while after I lost my parents, she was the only one who could comfort me, and we shared a bed for a while. Even after I got my own, I'd sneak into hers sometimes." 

Luffy smiled with Zoro. "You really love Kuina, don't you?"

Zoro chuckled. "Are you kidding? I'd give my life for her!"

Luffy grinned. "I'm sure she'd do the same for you! I can't remember if I've ever told you, but I'm in the same boat as you. Ace wasn't my biological brother either." At Zoro's surprised look, Luffy continued. "Yeah, we were introduced by my grandfather as kids. Ace didn't like me at first, but I guess I grew on him after a while. I was just thinking. Franky's big brother, and Nami's big sis aren't biological either! We're all just family mashups!" He laughed.

"Yeah." Zoro smiled. "Speaking of mashups, Sanji was... born into an abusive family. He ran away from home and got adopted by a chef, which is how he learned to cook. I met him a few times. He's a bit abrasive, but a good man." 

"I haven't seen my real father in years." Luffy said. "I've almost forgotten what he looks like."

"Same." Zoro peered out of the window just then. "Looks like the rain's letting up. Wanna take a stroll?"

"Yeah, why not? Kuinaaa!" Luffy called to her from the living room. "Me an' Zoro are going out for a little while!"

"Alright. Make sure you're back before dark!" 

"We will!"

\--------------------

"When did Kuina give you that shirt?" Luffy asked as they strolled, the air humid around them.

"How'd you know-" He looked down at the tshirt that read 'World's Best Little Brother'. "Oh. She gave it to me shortly after I woke from my coma. She'd been so happy that I'd survived, you know?"

"Yeah. Actually, I would've been too had I known you! You're important to a lot of people."

Zoro laughed. " _What_ lot of people? I haven't known your group of friends long, my last boyfriend is... gone, and there aren't many people in my family."

"Well, you're still important, especially to me," Luffy said, hand on Zoro's shoulder.

Zoro gave Luffy a rare shy smile. "You're important to me too."

After a while of strolling and talking, Luffy stopped, looking around at his surroundings. "Where are we?"

Zoro looked around as well. "I dunno, but we need to get back. It's starting to get dark, and Kuina's gonna worry."

"Yeah." Luffy looked around worriedly. Though he wasn't worried so much for his own sake, he was more worried for Zoro.

They moved around the unfamiliar part of the city, looking for any familiar landmarks. Not finding any, Luffy decided to call Kuina.

The phone rang once, Kuina picking up almost immediately. "Where are you two? You were supposed to be back by now."

"Um, we were so busy talking, that we _kiiiiinda_ found ourselves in an unfamiliar part a' town." Luffy said, beginning to feel some fear himself. "I have no idea where we are."

"Alright. Let me see if I can find you guys. Hold on," The voice on the phone said.

"Uh, Luffy?" Zoro broke in.

"Just a sec, Zoro."

"How'd you guys get way out there?! That's a shady area of town!" Kuina's voice exclaimed, then she said, "Nevermind, I'm coming right now, and you can tell me later when you two are safe." She then ended the call.

"Luffy?..." 

"Zoro, Kuina says..." But Zoro wasn't looking at him. He turned his eyes to what Zoro was looking at. Several meters in front of them were three large, foreign-looking men coming toward them with arrogant smirks on their faces. 

\--------------------

Kuina floored it as she drove toward the side of town that mainly thugs inhabited. How did Zoro and Luffy even get that far away? In her worry, she still was in a state of mind to call Franky for backup as she raced there. She at least hoped he could get there before anything bad happened. 

\--------------------

"Hey kid, do you know whose territory you're in?"

"Look," Luffy said. "We don't want any trouble, we're just passing through." He could fight pretty well, but preferred not to if he didn't have to. Besides, there were three of the guys, each bigger than him. He'd fought men bigger than himself before but this time was different. He needed to make sure Zoro wouldn't be hurt. 

"Hey Zoro?" Luffy spoke as the three men advanced toward him and Zoro. "I'm gonna need you to move away for a bit."

"No way!" Zoro countered as two more men came out of the shadows. "I'm not gonna just stand by and let you be hurt!"

The thug sizing up Luffy laughed heartily before speaking to his men. "Larry! Ralph! Move him away as the kid requests."

Luffy watched in horror as the two men in question promptly picked up Zoro's powerchair. Taking it over to a fence pole a few meters away, they used a thick, heavy chain to secure it to that spot.

"Zoro!!" His head whirled around, facing the lead thug again. "Unchain him! He has nothing to do with this!"

"Luffy!" Zoro yelled from where he was, using the controls on his chair to try to free it. It didn't budge. "Shit! _Luffy!_ "

"Tell you what. You beat me and my pals? I let your friend go. You lose, and he comes with us. Deal?" The lead thug told Luffy.

"No! I won't let you take Zoro!" 

Luffy lunged at the man.

\--------------------

At a red light, Kuina checked her phone again. She wasn't far from where Zoro and Luffy were but at this rate, she wouldn't get there in time. She only hoped that they weren't in too much trouble.

\--------------------

"You're pretty strong for a runt, Runt!" The lead thug said, hands locked with Luffy's trying to push him back. "Don't worry though. I'll treat your friend real good, alright?" 

Luffy narrowed his eyes as he used his strength to push back. "That's only if you win. And even then, you're not taking Zoro!" 

"Aww, that's so cute! You're gonna miss your friend." The thug chuckled. "Tell you what. I'll allow you to see him, oh, I dunno... Once a month. Just to check up on him. Deal?"

"No deal! Unchain him!"

Zoro, flanked by Larry and Ralph, tried in vain to break the chain holding his chair in place. He needed to get back to Luffy. "Luffy!"

"Why do you wanna hang around with that squirt anyway? You should hang around with some _real_ men!" Larry told him.

"Yeah, real men like us!" Ralph added. "When Bruce gets done with your friend, you'll have plenty of time to get to know us!"

"No I won't, cause Luffy's gonna win!!" Zoro shouted from between them. "Kick his _ass_ , Luffy!"

The other two thugs had gotten involved now, holding Luffy's arms, pinning him against a wall. The lead thug, Bruce, walked up to Luffy, cracking his knuckles. "What made you think a shrimp like you could beat a gang of five?"

"Maybe because I could have if you hadn't all ganged up on me!"

The man laughed. "Lame excuse, if you ask me. I'm gonna have fun with you now, and maybe your friend can see how a real man fights!"

Zoro watched in horror as the man punched Luffy in the gut. 

"Break his legs, Bruce!" Ralph and Larry shouted from the sidelines.

"Oh, I'm gonna!" Bruce scanned his surroundings, spotting an iron pipe. Going over to pick it up, he walked back over to Luffy. "You might wanna look away, squirt, cause this is gonna hurt a bit." He then reared back and swung at Luffy's shins.

Both Luffy and Zoro screamed in unison.

"Oi!"

Bruce and his gang of thugs looked over to see the Franky family. Though Franky himself was nowhere to be seen, the sheer size of the group was enough to make Bruce drop the pipe with a loud clatter, and the other two thugs holding Luffy drop him. 

"Some tough guys you are, ganging up on one guy!" Mozu said to Bruce.

"Look," Bruce said, holding up his hands as he scanned the large group. "We're not trying to cause trouble." He smiled in what he hoped was a friendly manner. "We were just having a bit of fun."

"You guys better start running," a large man named Zambai warned. "We'll give you a five second head start. 1... 2..."

Bruce really didn't want to tangle with the Franky Family if he could help it. "Shit! C'mon guys," He said, gathering his men. "Let's scram!" In seconds, they had scattered.

"Mozu! Kiwi! Help Luffy! I'll take care of the green-haired guy! The rest of you, track down those thugs and show them they can't mess with friends of The Franky Family."

"Franky Family? As in, Luffy's friend Franky?" Zoro asked as the black-haired man with (were those fishnet tights?) walked toward him. 

"Yeah, so you know him. He called us here to help you guys." He stooped down, grabbing the chain connecting the powerchair to the fence pole. "Name's Zambai, by the way." After a few seconds of struggling with it, he said, "They really wanted to make sure you couldn't move! This is the biggest lock I've ever seen!"

"Can you remove it?" Zoro asked worriedly. "I need to get to Luffy."

Zambai shook his head. " _I_ can't, but I know someone who can!" 

Mozu bent over Luffy. "Are you okay, Luffy?" 

Kiwi, almost identical in appearance to her sister, bent over Luffy on his other side. "Luffy, are you okay?" 

Luffy grunted in pain, trying to sit up. "Yeah... I'm okay. Just unchain Zoro." 

"Zambai's on it," Mozu said, taking his arm. "Can you stand?" 

"Zambai's got it covered," Kiwi said, taking his other arm. "Can you stand?"

Pain knifed through Luffy's legs when he moved them, and he grunted. "I don't think I can."

Just then, Kuina drove up, shortly followed by Franky himself. Kuina went over to Zoro, "Zoro! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but Luffy's hurt, and I can't get to him. Help me!" Zoro begged.

"Franky's strong, A chain like this is no match for him!" Zambai said proudly of his former aniki. "Aniki! Over here!" He shouted when Franky exited his vehicle.

"Hey Franky, can you free my brother while I check on Luffy?" Kuina asked him.

"Sure thing!" Franky told her confidently. "I've got this!"

"Thanks," Kuina said heading over to Luffy. 

Franky turned to the chain with its huge padlock in front of him. Normally, he'd just snap the chain with his huge hands, but because of how tightly and intricately it was wound around the structure of the chair, he didn't want to snap the chain and damage Zoro's chair in the process. Zoro needed his chair to get around, after all.

"Hmm," Franky pondered, trying to figure out a way to tackle this problem.

"Luffy's hurt! I need to get to him! Please, hurry!" Zoro pleaded.

"Hold on, this chain is tightly wound, and I don't wanna damage your chair," Franky explained calmly.

"I don't care about the chair. I can always get another one! Please!" Zoro begged. Someone had called the police and ambulance. The paramedics brought out a gurney, and they were about to lay Luffy onto it.

"I don't know how Kuina would feel if I damaged your chair, though. Better not take that chance."

"ANIKI!" Kiev shouted, running towards Franky, a key in hand. "That thug told me to give you this!" As he came to a stop, he handed the key to Franky. "His exact words were, 'Here! Take it! Just don't hurt me!'. I did anyway, for how he hurt Luffy. Do you think it's the key to the lock?"

"Only one way to find out!" Franky said as a pair of smaller hands came out of his larger ones, grabbing the key and inserting it into the keyhole. The lock clicked open, Franky removed it, and began unwinding the chain holding Zoro's chair in place. Once Zoro was freed, Franky said, "There ya go!"

"Thanks Franky!" Zoro said over his shoulder as he maneuvered himself over to where they were just about to load his boyfriend into the waiting ambulance. "I owe you one!"

"No problem, Zoro-bro!"

"Luffy," Zoro said as he reached his boyfriend. 

"Hey Zoro..." Luffy's smile didn't really reach his eyes.

"Luffy, I'm..." He paused, looking away for a moment, the guilt coloring his features. He looked back at Luffy. "I'm gonna ride with Kuina to the hospital. I'm gonna be there for you... okay?"

"It's not your fault, Zoro," Luffy tried to reassure him. When Zoro looked away again, Luffy repeated, "...It's not your fault." He wanted to lay a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, but his arms were covered and strapped down to the gurney. "I'll be okay, Zoro."

\--------------------

Kuina noticed how quiet Zoro was on the trip to the hospital. He probably still felt guilty for what had happened to Luffy. "It'll be okay, Zoro. It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah it was." Zoro sighed. "I was the one who suggested a stroll in the first place... I shoulda been more aware of my surroundings... I..." He fell silent again.

"You haven't really told me but, what actually happened back there after I got off the phone with you two?" Kuina asked as she took a right turn.

Zoro explained to her what happened in detail. "... and then they hit him in his legs with an iron pipe... And I just sat there, chained to the fence pole... I couldn't do anything... I couldn't do _anything!_ "

"I know you wanted to help, and you would've if you could've. But please don't think that any of this was your fault. You two were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Though she felt bad for Luffy, she was grateful that Zoro hadn't been hurt. 

Zoro ran his hand through his hair, then turned to look out of the window. He hoped Luffy would be okay. He didn't know what he'd do if he wasn't.

\--------------------

It had been a two hour wait at the hospital. Apparently, Luffy had two broken legs. They'd been fairly clean breaks which meant that after they healed, he wouldn't need extensive rehabilitation to walk again.

"Zoro?... Wake up, Zoro," Kuina said as she gently shook her brother. When he opened bleary eyes, looking up at her, she said, "They've taken Luffy to his room. They're keeping him overnight." 

"Oh..." He sighed. It was that bad? "Can we see him?"

"Yes, he's in room 408. We can go there together." Kuina told him gently.

Zoro nodded as they moved towards the elevators. "He's gonna be okay, right?"

As they got on, Kuina said, "Yeah," Then she explained what the doctor had told her. "So see? Things are gonna be ok!"

"I dunno..."

"Come on, Little Brother. We'll get there, and you'll see."

\--------------------

The lights were turned low in the room, and Luffy lay in bed with his eyes peacefully closed. The AC was on, making it cool in the room to the point of being cold, and the blankets were pulled up to Luffy's chest. The curtains were drawn and the television was quietly playing.

"Luffy?" Zoro said quietly. "Luffy..."

Luffy slowly opened groggy eyes. He smiled sleepily. "Mm... Hey, Zoro..."

Zoro lay his hand on Luffy's arm under the blanket. "Hey, Luffy... I'm sorry... It was my fault you got hurt.... And I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you when you needed it most!"

The soft smile stayed in place as he moved his hand from under the blanket, reaching for Zoro's hand. When he had it, he squeezed it reassuringly, saying, "Hey.... What happened wasn't your fault. Okay? It wasn't. I want you to not feel bad about this, okay?"

"...Okay," Zoro agreed hesitantly. "Can I... see your casts?" 

"Sure." Luffy let up the head of his bed. Then he moved the blankets aside, revealing two pristine, white casts running from mid-thigh to his toes. "See? It's not so bad. And maybe later, you can sign them."

"I can't do it myself... Kuina'll have to help me," Zoro said sadly. "I... I hope you get better quickly."

"Me too." Luffy replied, eyes starting to slip closed again. "I hate hospitals." He peeled his eyes open again, smiling at his boyfriend. "I'm getting sleepy again, so I'll talk to you more tomorrow. Goodnight and love you, Zoro. Goodnight Kuina." He let the head of his bed down, and closed his eyes again.

"I wish I could stay with him," Zoro commented. 

"I know you do," Kuina said gently. "But Luffy needs his sleep. Come on. We can see him again tomorrow before he's discharged."  
  
Zoro sighed as he moved with Kuina toward the door. Before he left however, he took one last look at his boyfriend, who was sleeping peacefully. Luffy's face looked so sweet and innocent as he slept, Zoro couldn't understand why anyone would want to hurt him. 

Taking a deep breath, he resolved that from now on, despite his limits, he would protect Luffy in any way he could. After all, that's what boyfriends do for one another.

\--------------------

The blond man had looked up Usopp and gotten info on where Luffy lived now, then he'd been informed that Luffy had been hospitalized for two broken legs. Deciding to visit him in the morning, he put an 8 a.m. alarm on his phone, then he put on his pajamas, and slipped into bed.

Lying there in the hotel room bed, with his hands behind his head, he thought about Luffy. How did he break, not one, but both his legs? Did he fall from a great height? Or did he get into a fight with someone? The latter explanation seemed more plausible, though it still didn't answer the question of how both legs got broken. 

Maybe when he visited Luffy tomorrow, he'd get the whole story then.

\--------------------

The next moring, Luffy was sitting up, eating his very non-Japanese breakfast of bacon, two eggs, and a biscuit when he heard a knock on the door. Assuming it was Kuina with Zoro, he shouted, "Come in!" 

The man who entered made a bright grin light up his face.

_"SABO!"_

Sabo spread his arms. _"LUFFY!"_

"Sabo! It's so good to see you again!" Luffy spread his own arms.

"No, it's good to see you! Gimme a hug!" Sabo said as he went in for one.

"Sooo... Whatcha been up to?" Luffy asked once Sabo had pulled away.

"Well, I'd been trying to call you for like the last week, but you never answered. I wanted to see how you were doing, and tell you that I was back!" 

"That was you? I kept seeing a number I didn't recognize, so I didn't answer it. But I didn't know it was you!" Luffy laughed. 

Sabo smiled. Leave it to Luffy to do exactly that. "You coulda checked your voice mail though! I left several! But anyway, I called Usopp, and he told me you were in the hospital with two broken legs. How in the world did you get _two_ broken legs?"

The smile faded as Luffy recalled what had happened. "These foreign guys, they ganged up on me when we accidentally wandered into their territory. They-"

Sabo interrupted. "We?"

"Yeah, me an' my boyfriend!" The smile was back, and he blushed shyly. "I have a boyfriend now! His name is Zoro, an' he has this really pretty green hair!

"Sounds like you really like this guy!" Sabo smiled again.

"I do! But anyway, we'd wandered into those guys' territory and I tried to fight them off, only I was outnumbered five-to-one." 

Sabo's eyebrows furrowed. "Zoro didn't help?"

"Oh, he couldn't 'cause they'd chained him to a fence pole," Luffy said finishing his food, covering the plate, and pushing it away.

"Chained him to a fence pole?" Sabo asked, still not understanding.

"Yeah! He wanted to help me, but he couldn't move!"

"Oh..." 

"Anyway, they ganged up on me, and broke my legs," Luffy said, leaning his head into his pillow. "The casts aren't so bad, but my legs itch horribly right now, and I can't scratch them."

Sabo wanted to hear the rest of the story. "So how'd you guys get out of that mess?"

"You remember Franky right?" At Sabo's nod, Luffy continued. "Some of his friends helped us. I hope Zoro's feeling better today, he was feeling bad that he couldn't help me..."

"So, you gotta tell me! How'd you meet Zoro?" Sabo said, excited to be talking with Luffy again.

"I actually met him in a nursing home," Luffy replied.

"Soooo..." Sabo paused, before continuing. "You guys were working there?"

"Nah, he was a resident-"

"A resident?! How old _is_ he?!"

"It's not what you think! He's twenty-one!" Luffy clarified. "Before I met him, he'd been in a bad car accident, and couldn't live alone anymore, so his sister, Kuina, put him in the home for awhile."

"Wha...? Is he still there now?" Then Sabo shook his head, remembering. "Oh yeah, from what you told me earlier, he couldn't be. So how come he's no longer there? Did he get better?"

"Not really. He was taken out after... they decided he could live at home. So he lives with his sister now."

Sabo noted the pause in Luffy's voice, indicating that that wasn't all that had happened. But, not wanting to pry, he asked, "Wow, how long ago was all this?"

"A few months ago. I started working for Kuina to take care of him after he was taken out... of the... home..." Luffy trailed off as he realized he wasn't going to be able to help Kuina with Zoro anymore for a while. "Oh _no_! I can't work for Kuina like this! What am I gonna do?!"

\--------------------

Meanwhile, Kuina and Zoro were back on the elevator, riding up to Luffy's room.

"You seem to be feeling better about things today," Kuina said, smiling at her brother. 

"Yeah, I made a resolution that from now on, I'd protect him no matter what," Zoro said, smiling back at Kuina. Then he turned to look straight ahead. "At least within my limits anyway."

When the elevator pinged, they got off, heading to Luffy's room. 

\--------------------

Sabo was still pondering Zoro when there was another knock at the door.

Luffy whispered excitedly to Sabo, "That's probably Zoro an' Kuina!" He turned to the door. "Come in!" 

Kuina opened the door, then seeing the blond man in the chair near Luffy's bed, she said, "Oh! I didn't realize you had a visitor. If this is a bad time, we can come back later."

"No, no! You're visitors too! You can come in!" Luffy said to them. "Sabo, meet Zoro an' Kuina! Zoro and Kuina, meet Sabo! He's mine an' Ace's brother! I'm sorry I hadn't mentioned him before now."

Sabo noted the powerchair Zoro was using, which surprised him a little. There was a waistbelt and harness meant to keep him sitting in an upright position, which meant that Zoro was a... quadriplegic? Luffy hadn't mentioned that part, but now that he thought about it, what Luffy had told him earlier now made more sense. The nursing home, and the fact that Luffy had apparently been helping Kuina take care of Zoro, among other things. 

Sabo also noted that Luffy hadn't been exaggerating the beautiful color of Zoro's hair. It was like a green he'd never seen before. He had so many questions, but the first thing to come out was, "Wow! Your hair really _is_ green!" A hand flew to his mouth. "I'm sorry... Luffy told me it was a pretty green, but I didn't think it would be quite so striking! Hi, I'm Sabo." He stood up, bowing to Zoro. "Um, can I call you Zoro?"

Zoro was starting to like this Sabo guy already. "Sure. Luffy didn't tell me he had another brother."

"It may have been because I've been overseas for the last several years." He said, trying not to stare too long at Zoro's missing eye. "He didn't know when I was coming back."

"Fair enough." Zoro shrugged. 

Sabo bowed to Kuina. "How do you do, Kuina-san." He said, displaying his good manners. 

Kuina smiled warmly, bowing back. "Just Kuina please, and I'm well, thank you."

"Ooohh," Luffy said as he moved around uncomfortably in his bed.

"What's wrong?" Zoro and Sabo asked in unison.

"It's nothing. Just my legs itch something awful." Luffy sighed, rolling his head on his pillow. "An' I forgot how long I'm gonna be stuck in these."

"It's usually six weeks, though sometimes it can be longer, depending on the severity of the fracture," Kuina said as she pulled up another chair.

"I hafta wait for six weeks?!" Luffy nearly shouted. He then folded his arms, puffing out his cheeks, looking away. "Don' wanna..."

"You have no choice Luffy, if you wanna be able to use your legs again," Sabo said reasonably. 

"I'm hungry," Luffy said, placing his hands on his belly.

Sabo laughed. "Your appetite hasn't changed!"

Zoro chuckled, looking over at his new friend. "I know, right?"

"Hey, Zoro, wanna come with me to get my knucklehead brother a snack?" Sabo asked, hoping Zoro would get the hint. 

Zoro didn't miss the offended look on Luffy's face when Sabo called him a knucklehead. "Sure, why not?" 

"That's okay, right?" Sabo added to Kuina. 

"Of course! Just make sure he doesn't get lost. It happens a lot easier than you may think," She said, and at Zoro's embarrassed look, she said, "Have fun, Zoro!"

When they were outside the door, they made their ways to the hospital cafeteria in silence, at least at first. 

"Um..." Sabo began, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Luffy, um, told me how he met you..."

Zoro looked up at Sabo a second, then turned back to the hall in front of him. "He told you about the nursing home, huh? Yeah, I lived there for a while. Hated it. Most of the CNAs were nice, but... it just wasn't my thing, you know?"

Sabo made a face. "Yeah, I couldn't imagine having to live somewhere where there was no one else my age.... He also told me why you were there in the first place."

"Yeah, the accident messed me up real bad, but the drunk driver who caused it, I heard he got barely a scratch." Zoro's eye narrowed. "Sometimes, it makes me so _mad_ that I have to live this way while he, well..."

"Gets to go on with life as if nothing happened," Sabo finished for him.

Zoro looked back up at Sabo, surprised. "Yeah! Exactly!" 

As they rounded a corner to get to the elevators, Sabo said, "So when you were in the home, what'd you do everyday? Did you do the activities they have for the old folks, or...?"

"I wandered the halls most days. That was how I met Luffy. I got my chair stuck in an alcove, and he helped me. His strength impressed me, and we quickly became friends. Before that, for most of the day, there was nothing to do, no one to talk to. Kuina would come to feed me breakfast and lunch, sometimes dinner, but for the most part, I was alone."

As Sabo pressed the button for the ground level, he wondered how it felt to be so alone in a place full of people. But then, as Zoro had said, there'd been nothing to do, and no one his age to do it with. No wonder he'd been so lonely. "You didn't have a boy or girlfriend who could come see you?"

"I did once, but he was killed in the accident." Zoro sighed.

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that," Sabo said sincerely as they moved to get into the elevator. Once the doors were closed, he continued the conversation. "Luffy told me that the reason you don't live there anymore was because they decided you could live at home, but the way he said it... I don't mean to pry but, what actually happened?"

Zoro thought a moment. He didn't know if he wanted to divulge the information or not. The abuse was something he'd rather not talk about. Maybe a short answer would suffice. He stared at his hands in his lap as he said, "I was... abused by one of the CNAs there." It was a gross understatement, but it summed up what had happened.

"Oh." Feeling it would be impolite to pry further, Sabo only said, "That's terrible."

"Yeah.... It was." Zoro sighed again. "I try not to think about it too much anymore though."

The rest of the elevator ride was spent in silence. When the doors opened, they moved out, going down the hall to the cafeteria. Sabo scratched his head. "I don't even know what Luffy would want anymore. He still loves meat, right?"

" _Oh_ yeah," Zoro agreed. "I love meat too, but not like Luffy." He gave Sabo a wry grin.

Sabo grinned back. "I don't think anyone loves meat like Luffy." 

Zoro let out an affirmative chuckle.

\--------------------

Luffy usually didn't worry much, but today, he worried about a lot of things. How was he going to help Kuina with Zoro? Also, his residence was a second floor apartment. How was he going to get up and down the stairs? 

"You look like something's troubling you," Kuina said as they waited for Zoro and Sabo to come back.

He turned to her with the saddest look on his face. "I'm not gonna be able to help you with Zoro anymore."

"Oh, is that all?" Kuina smiled warmly. "Try not to worry about it. We'll work something out. Meanwhile, we're taking you to lunch. My treat. Where would you like to go?" 

"Giovanni's. Zoro fell asleep last time we were there, and didn't get a chance to eat his food fresh," Luffy said, absently scratching at his left cast. He stuck his hand under the blanket, fingers searching for a way beneath the cast. "Ugh! I _hate_ this! We weren't even _bothering_ those guys!" Luffy sighed. "I'm just glad Zoro wasn't hurt."

"Me too. But you're just as important to me," Kuina said sincerely. She lay a hand on Luffy's arm. "Just concentrate on getting better, okay? We'll be here for you."

Luffy nodded, looking down. The door opened, and Sabo and Zoro came in with an apple danish.

"Hey. We couldn't decide what to get you, so we got you this," Zoro said as Sabo handed the danish to Luffy.

Luffy hid his disappointment, instead thanking Sabo and Zoro. He tore open the package and took a bite of the pastry. "Oh, wow!" he exclaimed, surprised. "This is really good!" 

"Once they bring your discharge papers, we can all head over to Giovanni's for lunch," Kuina said, smiling at Luffy. She then turned to Sabo. "That is, if you want to come with us, Sabo."

"I'd love to!"

\--------------------

"Hey Zoro, look! Now we both have a set o' wheels!" Luffy said as he wheeled his chair around once they were outside of the hospital.

"Yeah, but now we're both gonna need help for stuff. And don't you have an upstairs apartment?" Zoro asked, curious as to how Luffy was going to get up and down the stairs.

Luffy smiled brightly, saying, "Well, I've thought about that, and..." His smile quickly vanished, and he sighed. "I have no idea how I'm gonna manage that. Sabo?" He looked up at his older brother. 

Sabo replied, "Well, I'm in the process of procuring a home here. Once that happens, you can stay with me while you recover."

"And you can stay with Zoro and I until Sabo gets his home, if it's okay with him." Kuina and Luffy looked to Sabo.

"It is." He turned back to Luffy. "We just need to get some of your things from your apartment, then you should be good to go. Sound good?"

"Yeah!" Luffy said, then began ticking things off on his fingers. "I'mma need my laptop an' my gaming systems-"

Sabo interrupted. "And clothes, your soap and shampoo, and your toothbrush and toothpaste, first and foremost. We can think about your gaming systems later."

A look of disappointment on Luffy's face. "But-"

"Don't 'but' me! The necessities come first," Sabo said reasonably.

Kuina agreed. "He's right, Luffy. After you're situated, then you can worry about your gaming systems."

Luffy conceded, sighing. "Okay..."

"Okay," Zoro said. "Now that that's settled, let's go eat! I'm starving!"

"Should we all take my van, or..." Kuina let the question hang in the air.

"We should probably ride with you." Sabo said, looking over Kuina's van. "My SUV could carry Luffy and his chair, but there'd be no room for Zoro's powerchair, nor any way to get it in the vehicle."

"Okay, we'll take the van then. It has room for both chairs and all of us." Kuina said as she unlocked the van.

"Hey Zoro! I'm in the back with you this time!" Luffy said as Sabo situated him in the backseat.

"That's good. I'm always in the back. Gets kinda lonesome back here." Zoro cracked a smile.

Luffy cracked his own matching smile. "Glad I can keep you company this time." 

After everyone was in the van, Kuina said, "Next stop, Giovanni's!"


End file.
